Prospectus

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Consumer Psychology

Course
2011-2012

Admission requirements

Bachelor course Social and Organisational Psychology or comparable courses. For comparison contact the study adviser of Psychology.

Description

Consumers and their behaviour are becoming more and more important nowadays. Through marketing and advertising companies try to influence consumers in their choices. This is not limited to questions concerning how to motivate consumers to buy a (new) product, but, for example, also includes questions related to how to enhance satisfaction of consumers. On a more general level consumers’ satisfaction has been regarded as an indicator of (future) economic growth. The sometimes whimsical behaviour a consumers becomes more and more a deciding factor (think about the stock market). But how do consumers make decisions and what drives their behaviour? In this course insights from social psychology and consumer behaviour are integrated and a broad range of topics is covered–the construal of judgments and decisions, automatic processes, sexual and humorous marketing, affective and cognitive feelings, and social norms. The course provides insight in the way consumer decisions are made and is therefore relevant for students, who are interested in the interplay between marketing, psychology and consumer behaviour.

Course objectives

By the end of the course students will be expected to understand the key concepts and theories presented in the course and are expected to be able to apply these to issues relevant to consumer behaviour.

Timetable

Consumer Psychology (2011-2012):

Mode of instruction

  • Seven lectures

  • Exam.

Assessment method

Final exam with 40 multiple-choice questions in English (dictionaries are allowed). The information presented in lectures will be part of the exam material.

Blackboard

Information on blackboard.leidenuniv.nl

Reading list

  • W. D. Hoyer & D. J. MacInnis (2009). Consumer Behavior (5th, International Edition). Publisher: South Western College (ISBN-10: 0324834276; ISBN-13: 978-0324834277)

  • Selected articles

Registration

Registration for the (re)exam is not automatic. Students, who haven’t registered, cannot participate in the (re)exam

Electives students
You have to enrol for each course separately. Read more on the electives (in Dutch) or contact the study adviser for international students.

Contact information

Dr. W. van Dijk
Room 2A-21
Tel: 071 5276844
E-mail: dijkwvan@fsw.leidenuniv.nl