MKTG2112
Consumer Behaviour
1. Introduction
In this unit, students will examine the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of consumer behaviour in marketing decisions. The concepts and principles are drawn from a range of fields including psychology (cognitive and social), sociology, anthropology, and demography.
Specific topics in this course include consumer perception and learning, personality and emotion, reference group influences, household decision processes and consumption behaviour, personality and emotion, and purchase decision processes.
Prerequisites: MKTG1001 Marketing Principles
2. Difficulty
Difficulty: Medium
Although the subject is interesting and relatively easy to understand, the amount of content and strict assessment criteria proves to be challenging for many students.
In particular, students reported that assignment instructions were quite vague and general and left them unsure of how to address the brief. However, most were able to overcome this if they were proactive in seeking clarification from their lecturers and tutors.
Because the final exam was online and open-book, students said the questions were of increased difficulty and required higher-level thinking and sophisticated application of theory and knowledge.
3. Workload
Requiring approximately 4 hours of commitment per week, the unit structure includes weekly 2-hour lectures, a 1-hour tutorial, readings, quizzes, and meetings for group work. The major assessments include a group assignment (mid-sem pitch, a final report, and presentation) and a final take-home short release exam.
The quizzes are manageable if students have a comprehensive understanding of the weekly content, although the assignment and the final exam require a lot more effort to prepare for.
4. Textbooks/Readings
Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, Being, (2019), Solomon, Michael R., Rebekah Russell-Bennett, Josephine Previte, 4th edition.
(All readings for this unit can be found under the Library eReserve link or are available on Canvas)
5. Assessment Breakdown
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Participation (15%): Participation in a research study OR submission of a research paper review, as well as ongoing participation in tutorials and the in-class pitch (part of the group assignment).
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Module Quizzes (16%): Weekly online quizzes based on preparation for and participation in tutorial discussions.
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Group Presentation (15%): One or two students from the group assignment will present a 12-minute oral presentation.
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Group Assignment (20%): Groups will submit a 2,800 word professional consumer report.
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Final Exam (34%): 2-hour take home short release exam (Type D) consisting of short answer questions based on the topics covered in lectures, the textbook, and reading materials.
Please note that assessments may vary across semesters. This information was sourced from the Unit of Study Outline for Semester 1 of 2021, and may be out of date. For the most up-to-date information, refer to the Unit of Study Outline for the semester and year relevant to your studies.
6. Unit Highlights
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Very interesting content that integrates areas of psychology.
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Able to make connections between learned concepts to the real world and students’ own behaviours.
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Exploring the mindset and thought processes behind world-famous brands.
7. Skills Learnt
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Teamwork
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Organisation
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Time management
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Theory on marketing psychology concepts
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Applying theory to context
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Critical thinking
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Identifying and understanding reasons behind behaviours