AP2EC2-Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour

Module Provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites: AP1EM2 The Fundamentals of Business and Marketing
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites: AP2EQ5 Research Methods and Data Analysis
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Giuseppe Nocella
Email: g.nocella@reading.ac.uk

Module Co-convenor: Dr Elena Millan
Email: e.s.millan@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Understanding how consumers process and evaluate information and make their buying decisions choosing between different competing products and brands is vital for retailers and other supply actors to develop ad hoc marketing strategies. In this module you will learn about theories of consumer attitudes and behaviour and how they are applied to take advantage of marketing opportunities of different products and brands.

Aims:

Consumer attitudes and behaviour is a dynamic interdisciplinary subject influenced by various theoretical perspectives and it is relevant to marketing to understand psychological factors influencing consumer demand for goods and services. Understanding consumer attitudes and behaviour is also crucial for achieving companies’ objectives as knowledge of how consumers process information and how they choose between competing products and brands is vital to develop successful marketing strategies and to make informed managerial decisions. This module is intended to introduce students to theories of consumer attitudes and behaviour, how these theories are operationalised and in what way the outcomes of these models can inspire marketers to develop marketing strategies that can meet the needs and wants of different segments of consumers. Through a combination of interactive lectures, in-class discussions, case studies, exercises, and SPSS tutorials, this module aims to equip students with key concepts, analytical techniques and skills useful to apply different models of this discipline in different contexts of consumer shopping behaviour. The module critically examines both theoretical and practical aspects of consumer attitudes and behaviour focusing on the psychological basis of consumer decision-making and the influence of the socio-cultural context.

Assessable learning outcomes:

Students will develop a critical appreciation of an integrative approach to consumer attitudes and behaviour where they will be able to:

• develop a critical appreciation of an integrative approach to consumer behaviour through understanding and assessing various concepts and models of consumer behaviour.


• build an understanding of the effects of personal and environmental influences on consumer attitudes and behaviour;


• identify specific issues related to the analysis of consumer behaviour and relate these issues to the development and success of marketing strategies.


• recognise and describe what consumer attitudes are, how they can serve different goals and psychological needs, and why they are so central to our behaviour.


• understand the structure and strength of attitudes, the role of information and the influence of other external sources in the formation of attitudes.


• appreciate the role of persuasion and the influence of attitudes and other psychological factors on behaviour in conceptual frameworks falling under the umbrella of expectancy value models, fear appeal models and other selected models of this discipline.


• understand, operationalize and assess various models of consumer attitudes and behaviour using inferential statistical techniques.

Additional outcomes:

Students will develop effective verbal and written communication skills using appropriate presentation aids and be able to critically comment and discuss the statistical output obtained from the application of these models. Students will develop team-work skills through working as part of a team in order to produce and deliver a successful presentation. Students will also develop critical skills through identifying and analysing how attitudes and other psychological factors influence behaviours exploiting tools and techniques discussed in this module.

Outline content:

• Consumers in the marketplace • Consumer needs, motives and goals • Perception, learning and memory and consumer behaviour • Personality and self in consumer behaviour • Basic issues in attitude research • Measurement of attitudes • Structure and properties of attitudes • Explaining and predicting consumer behaviour • Individual decision making • Cultural influence on consumer behaviour • Social influence, opinion leadership and consumer behaviour • Expectancy value models • Fear appeal models •Technology acceptance models

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The lectures will provide a theoretical background to case study examples.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	32
Practicals classes and workshops	8
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)	30
Wider reading (directed)	20
Exam revision/preparation	20
Advance preparation for classes	14
Preparation for tutorials	16
Revision and preparation	20
Essay preparation	20
Reflection	20
Total hours by term	200	0	0
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written exam	50
Set exercise	40
Class test administered by School	10

Summative assessment- Examinations:

A two-hour summer examination comprising a multiple-choice paper and essay style questions.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

A multiple-choice test consisting of 30 questions that students will have to answer in 30 minutes.

Students will be given a data set that contains information about a consumer survey on particular topic of attitudes and behaviour. They will be required to explore data using SPSS, perform statistical analysis, present and discuss critically findings in a research report of about 1,200 words.

Formative assessment methods:

Multiple-choice formative test accessible through Blackboard.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

A mark of 40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:

By re-examination in August/September.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: 

• Solomon, M.R., 2015. Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (Global ed.). Harlow: Pearson (or any other more recent edition of this textbook)


• Vogel, T. and Wanke, M. (2016). Attitudes and Attitude Change, Routledge, London.

2) Specialist equipment or materials: 

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear: 

4) Printing and binding: 

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification: 

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: 

Last updated: 30 March 2023