CONSUMER BEHAVIOR (MAR 3503)
Course Syllabus and Schedule
Spring 2023
Professor:
Professor Siân Morgan
Contact:
Please email me at sian.morgan@warrington.ufl.edu
Note: do not use Canvas messaging
Class Hours:
MW | 1:55 – 3:50 PM | STZ 104
Teaching Assistant: Alejandro Lopez
Office Hours:
Zoom links on
Canvas
(sessions will be video-recorded & posted online)
lopez.a@ufl.edu (please do not use Canvas messaging)
Professor Morgan: MW | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Stuzin Hall 267J or Zoom
Alejandro Lopez
Zoom
T | 9:30 – 11:00 AM and R | 4:30 – 6:00 PM
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND READINGS
1. Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, 12th Edition
(the U.S. EDITION not the Global Edition.) by Michael R. Solomon.
Note: Two (2) copies are held on reserve at Library West for a 24-hour chekcout.
2. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, THE FINAL
EDITION (2021) by Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein
3. Harvard Business Publishing Coursepack
Notes: You will first need to create a free account, if you do not already have one. If you are unable
to open the materials, ensure you do not have pop-ups blocked.
4. Articles: available on Canvas under the “Course Reserves” tab.
Notes: If you are unable to open the materials, ensure you are either on campus or connected via
UF’s VPN.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
A successful marketing strategy must be built around an understanding of consumers. Even the
most intricate strategy runs the risk of being useless if it ignores some fundamental facts about
how people perceive and process information, make decisions, and form attitudes. Using
lectures, examples, and discussions, this course will build upon research in psychology,
marketing, and other social sciences to help you understand why consumers act as they do. As
we learn how to characterize and predict consumer behavior, we will discuss implications for
designing and implementing marketing strategies.
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A vital component of the course will be a focus on the research process. We will not only
examine what is known about consumer behavior, but we will also explore how researchers have
arrived at these conclusions. This should help you better understand the topics we cover and
should also leave you better prepared to critically evaluate (and perhaps conduct) consumer
research in the future. Specifically, completion of this course will provide you with:
 A foundation in basic consumer psychology.
 An understanding of the numerous variables that comprise and affect consumer behavior.
 Insight into how to investigate consumer behavior.
 Insight into the strategies that are most likely to reach, inform, and persuade consumers.
 Insight into the consumers who surround you, such as your friends, your family, and
yourself.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course addresses the following “student learning outcomes” for the marketing major:
 Consumer behavior: Students will develop an understanding of consumer motivations
and decision processes.
 Behavioral insights: Students will develop an understanding of means for understanding
and influencing behavioral insights to inform marketing strategy and guide marketing
tactics.
 Communications skills: Students will effectively produce, interpret, and analyze written
text, oral messages, and multi-media presentations used in business.
 Critical thinking skills: Students will apply their substantive knowledge to marketing
situations (cases, scenarios) in an analytic manner.
COURSE FORMAT AND EXPECTATIONS
The course will be a mix of lecture, large-group discussion, and occasionally small-group
discussion. Everyone’s thoughtful participation is required to make the discussions productive,
but I hope that even the lectures will be interactive. As such, I expect you to attend or watch each
class, and prior to class, you should complete the assigned reading. You should also think about
how the reading fits with the topics covered to date and try to recall recent marketing examples
that demonstrate awareness (or ignorance!) of the principles addressed in the readings.
PowerPoint outlines are available for each lecture on Canvas. These outlines will help you keep
track of the main points and key terms, and the lectures will assume that you have the outlines in
front of you. I hope you find them useful, but please realize that they contain only a subset of
the material presented in class. In other words, they often do not contain critical examples or
explanations or key terms. Please do not rely only on the outlines alone to help you remember all
of the details covered in class; they are in no way a substitute for attending/watching the lecture
and careful, detailed notetaking. If you miss something, (re-)watch the video lecture.
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COURSE DELIVERY
Face-to-face lecture: Since this class is an EP (Electronic Platform) class, our class sessions
WILL be video-recorded, and the lectures will be posted for viewing by students both in this
section and the online-only section. Students who participate in the lecture will have their voices
- and possibly their image – recorded.
Please note: the cameras are at the back of the room. These videos will not be made publicly
available or posted outside Canvas.
Video Lectures: The live lectures will be recorded and posted to Canvas (after the session has
been formatted and uploaded by Warrington’s Production Managers).
 Once available, the lectures will appear in the course Mediasite
o The Mediasite is linked in our Canvas course under the “Video Lectures” tab.
 Videos should be available immediately after the live class, but please allow up to 24
hours for the video lectures to appear.
o If there are any issues with the videos, please let me know via email.
Technical Assistance for all students: If you require assistance to resolve technical issues,
please contact either the:
 UF Computing Help Desk (https://helpdesk.ufl.edu/ or call 352-392-4357) or
 Warrington’s Student Support at the Technology Assistance Center
(https://warrington.ufl.edu/information-technology-support-programs/technicalservices/tac-student-support/ or 352-273-0248).
EVALUATION
Your grade will be based upon the following criteria, described in more detail below:
3 Exams (80 points each)
240 points
1 Mini Case Assignment (completed individually)
8 points
Course-related Activities
Completion of activities related to class material
32 points
Total possible points 280
points
Grading Scale
≥ 266
≥ 252 and ≤ 265 points
≥ 243 and ≤ 251 points
≥ 230 and ≤ 242 points
≥ 212 and ≤ 229 points
≥ 196 and ≤ 211 points
≥ 168 and ≤ 195 points
≥ 155 and ≤ 167 points
≥ 140 and ≤ 154 points
< 140 points
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
E (failing grade)
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Note: I reserve the right to lower
any student’s grade based on
unprofessional behavior in the
course, violations of the Honor
Code, or any attempts at “gaming”
this syllabus.
Exams
Three exams will be given (see the Course Schedule below for dates and times). The second and
third exams are not cumulative, but they will pre-suppose an understanding of topics previously
covered.
The 3 exams are closed-book. The exams are testing your knowledge of the material and they
will draw from the textbooks, lectures, class discussions, the case and assigned readings. The
exams may have a range of question types, such as multiple choice, True/False, one-word
answer, and short answer.
Exam rules:
 You may not use any materials or a secondary device during the exam.
o Referring to the textbook, class notes, or any other written, recorded, or electronic
notes violates the rules of this course and the Honor Code.
o You may not use a translator (extension, app, etc.) while taking the exam.
 You must not use external scratch paper.
 Cell phones, calculators, programmable calculators, smart watches, extra tablets or
laptops, or any other electronic devices are not permitted.
 You must remain in front of your computer for the entire duration of the exam.
o Your eyes must remain on the exam on your screen while taking the exam.
o No bathroom breaks.
 You may not use a second monitor while taking the exam. You must write your exam on
a laptop or on a desktop using only one (1) screen / monitor.
Important: Anyone found to be in violation of these rules will earn a zero (0) on the exam(s), a
one (1) letter-grade course penalty without the option to drop the course, and the usual university
sanctions for violating the Honor Code.
The exams are designed to be rigorous: they will require you to integrate and synthesize the
material in order to solve new and challenging problems. More specific information will be
given one week prior to each exam to help you prepare.
Exams will be given using Honorlock. The University of Florida requires that any assessment
equivalent to 15% or more of a student's final course grade must be proctored. This policy
protects both the value of your academic degree and your own time and effort in becoming a
successful Warrington student. Please expect all assessments to be proctored and all assignments
to utilize plagiarism software and prepare accordingly.
ALL STUDENTS will write Exams 1, 2 and 3 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM on the dates indicated in
the Course Schedule. There is no lecture on an exam day, but I will hold office hours.
For online proctored exams, you must have:
 a strong and reliable internet connection to take online exams using Honorlock.
(When taking online exams, some general best practices are:
o Ensure that you have a strong and stable internet connection. As a rule of thumb, if
you have trouble streaming videos, you will not be able to take an online exam.
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o Ask others to refrain from using the internet during your exam if possible.
o Public WiFi and Hotspots are not suitable for taking online exams.)
a working webcam and computer (restart your computer before your exam for the most
effective testing environment)
Google Chrome
a downloaded extension to your Chrome browser (Honorlock)
a private workspace (if this is unachievable contact your faculty)
incredible attention to exam instructions (it's your responsibility not to get flagged for
cheating)
diligence to notify your faculty of accommodations or extenuating circumstances that
affect your exam time or exam environment by the deadlines noted later in this syllabus
integrity to abide by all exam instructions and report any irresponsible peers
Failure to follow these guidelines – resulting in an incomplete exam –
will not entitle you to a makeup.
The Warrington College of Business is strongly committed to academic integrity and will
rigorously enforce violations of the UF Honor Code and/or additional Warrington academic
integrity policies. To be a successful student please read all instructions for any assignment
carefully, do not collaborate on individual exams, assignments, or homework, and thoroughly
review the Honorlock Student Guide on the Warrington College website:
https://warrington.ufl.edu/covid-19/information-for/for-students/. Also review Warrington’s
“Honorlock Best Practices” – a list of things to do and what to avoid during the exams:
https://warrington.ufl.edu/covid-19/information-for/for-students/honorlock-best-practices/
Harvard Business School Case
Cases give you the chance to apply what you’ve learned in class and to develop your decisionmaking skills. In other words, it’s learning-by-doing. Cases play a central role in this course
because your ability to analyze problems and make intelligent decisions will be your most
important assets when you begin the career you are about to embark upon!
By working on a case in this course, you will learn how to identify hidden problems, analyze the
situation and make effective decisions, (and as a bonus, you will be prepared for subsequent
courses in the Marketing Department that rely heavily on cases, e.g. MAR 4803, 5806, 6818,
6335, etc.)
Individual Mini Case Write-up
Each student is required to hand in a case analysis for the case. It is an individual assignment
and must be completed without discussing your answers with other students. You may not
assist any other student or receive any assistance, including proofreading. The write-up must be
turned in on Canvas by the assigned time. For the case, I will provide some questions and case
specific instructions. Read the case carefully, follow the directions and be prepared to discuss the
case in class.
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Late Case Assignment
It is up to YOU to double check that the case assignment is successfully submitted to Canvas. I
will not accept “proof” of assignments being completed via “last saved” dates on a Word
document or Google document, etc.
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Case Assignments submitted within 1 hour of the deadline will immediately lose 25%,
and deductions for incorrect or incomplete answers will be deducted from that potential
maximum score.
Case Assignments submitted more than 1 hour after the deadline but BEFORE the case
discussion during class time: will immediately lose 50%, and deductions for incorrect or
incomplete answers will be deducted from that potential maximum score.
Case Assignments submitted after class time for the case discussion has begun will NOT
be accepted, and you will receive a zero on the assignment.
Email late case assignments (before that class begins) to one of the Teaching Assistants.
The case used in this class may have been used before by other students here at UF, or by
students at other universities. It will be considered a violation of the UF Honor Code to seek
case-specific help from students who have previously studied the case, or to use outside
solutions or resources for the case. You may also not plagiarize the case or any outside
materials. Any student who assists you would also be in violation.
Class Participation Points: Activities
You can earn up to 32 points for class participation by competing activities/surveys related to
class content throughout the semester. These are individual activities – you may not collaborate
or seek any type of assistance with the activities.
Notes: It is up to YOU to double check that activities are successfully submitted to Canvas. The
document / text you submit will be graded, so ensure you upload the correct document. I will
NOT accept “proof” of assignments being completed via “last saved” dates on a Word
document, iCloud, Google document, etc.
Late Activities:
 Activities submitted within 24 hours of the deadline: will immediately lose 50%, and
deductions for incorrect or incomplete answers will be deducted from that potential
maximum score.
 Activities submitted more than 24 hours late will NOT be accepted == you will earn a
“0” and will not be able to make up the point(s).
 Email late activities (within 24 hours of the deadline) to one of the Teaching
Assistants.
There are no exceptions to this apart from a documented medical emergency on or immediately
prior to the due date. UF-sanctioned trips such as MIB travel abroad or Warrington case study
competition that impact a deadline must be discussed with me at the beginning of the semester.
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IMPORTANT COURSE POLICIES
On-time completion of work
Exams. Exams must be taken at their scheduled times. Make-ups are only offered if there is a
documented family or medical emergency.
Notes:
 Any family emergency must be communicated to the Dean of Students’ (DOS) office.
Please do not discuss them with me. The DOS will then contact me, if appropriate.
 Emergencies DO NOT include opportunities to travel, family vacations, weddings, baby
showers, job interviews, business mixers, fraternity/sorority events, alumni events,
another exam on the same day (but at a separate time), etc.
 Do not schedule out-of-town interviews on exam days.
 In the case of illness, you must provide an acceptable note from your health care provider
within 24 hours and the exam must be scheduled within 1 business day of the date you
are able to return to classes.
Incompletes
Final grades of “incomplete” will only be given in the event of exceptional extenuating
circumstances, and only when the incomplete is arranged before classes end. Incompletes will
not be awarded to allow “re-takes” of the course for an improved grade. See the Undergraduate
Catalog for details of the official policy.
Extra Credit
There will not be any opportunities to receive additional extra credit by completing extra papers
or projects. Please do not ask me to make-up any assignments, exams or participation points
you’ve missed throughout the semester.
Course Evaluations
Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of
instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals.
Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at
https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens
and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas
course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course
evaluation results are available to students at https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl.
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Academic Honesty
You are expected to follow the standards of the University of Florida with respect to academic
honesty. When you enrolled at the University of Florida, you signed the following statement:
“I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their
academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and
understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary
action up to and including expulsion from the University.”
On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is
either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized
aid in doing this assignment." All work submitted in this class must be your own. Cheating,
plagiarizing, gaining unfair advantages over others, or otherwise violating the University of
Florida Academic Honesty Guidelines will NOT be tolerated. Any and all such violations will
result, at minimum, in a failing grade for the assignment, exam, or quiz, and a course letter grade
reduction with no option to drop, and will be handled according to University policy.
The Honor Code (https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/1617/advising/info/student-honor-code.aspx)
specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions.
Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to
appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor.
Recording
Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the purposes for which
these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes are (1) for
personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as evidence
in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited.
Specifically, students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the
instructor.
A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students
about a particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the
presentation, and delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest
instructor, as part of a University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions,
student presentations, clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving
solely student participation, assessments (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations
between students in the class or between a student and the faculty or lecturer during a class
session.
Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share,
transmit, circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium,
to another person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class
section. Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is
posted on or uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to
social media, book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third party note/tutoring services. A student
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who publishes a recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action
instituted by a person injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040
Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic
accommodations should connect with the disability Resource Center by visiting
disability.ufl.edu/students/get-started. It is important for students to share their accommodation
letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in the semester and
a minimum of 10 days prior to the requested accommodation.
Student Well-being
Your well-being is important to the University of Florida. The U Matter, We Care initiative is
committed to creating a culture of care on our campus by encouraging members of our
community to look out for one another and to reach out for help if a member of our community
is in need. If you or a friend is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu so that the U Matter,
We Care Team can reach out to the student in distress. A nighttime and weekend crisis counselor
is available by phone at 352-392-1575.
The U Matter, We Care Team can help connect students to the many other helping resources
available including, but not limited to, Victim Advocates, Housing staff, and the Counseling and
Wellness Center. Please remember that asking for help is a sign of strength. In case of
emergency, call 9-1-1.
A final note
Most of this syllabus is necessarily formal, but the class sessions need not be. The class should
be engaging and interesting for everyone. In addition to being important to marketing, consumer
behavior consists of many topics to which we all, as consumers, can relate. I encourage everyone
to bring up relevant examples and to ask questions at any point.
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Date
Topic
Readings, Notes & Assignments
Week 1
1/9
M
Lecture 1:
Introduction
Solomon: Chapter 1 p. 4-7, 17-18, 22-23
1/11
W
Lecture 2:
Attention and Perception (Part 1)
1) Solomon: Chapter 3 p. 74-97 (stop at “Semiotics”)
2) Article: “Is the Digital Age Making Us Petty?”
1/15
S
Brief Activity #1 - Moonwalk: due by 11:59 PM
Week 2
1/16
M
No Lecture: MLK Day
1/18
W
Lecture 3:
Perception (Part 2)
1/22
S
Activity #2 – Perception: due by 11:59 PM
Case Study: “They Saw a Game”
Week 3
1/23
M
Lecture 4:
Consumer Learning
Solomon: Chapter 4 p. 108-123
1/25
W
Lecture 5:
Memory
Solomon: Chapter 4 p. 128-141
1/29
S
Activity #3 – Memory: due by 11:59 PM
Week 4
1/30
M
Lecture 6:
Vicarious Learning
1) Solomon: Chapter 4 p. 121-122
2) Article: “Watching an Expert Do Something”
2/1
W
Lecture 7:
Attitudes
1) Solomon: Chapter 8 p. 262-270 (stop at “Balance Theory”),
p. 274-279 and p. 158-162
2) Article: “What does the Symmetry of Your Logo Say…?”
2/5
S
Activity #4 – Attitudes: due by 11:59 PM
Week 5
2/6
M
Lecture 8:
Persuasion
2/8
W
No Lecture: Study for Exam 1
Solomon: Chapter 8 p. 280-281, 284-293 and 297-302
Week 6
2/13
M
EXAM 1
7:00 – 8:00 PM on Honorlock (ALL STUDENTS)
2/15
W
Lecture 9:
Decision Making (Part 1)
1) Solomon: Chapter 9 p. 313-314 (stop at “Self-Regulation”),
317-323 and 328-334
2) Optional Article: “Tyranny of Choice”
2/19
S
Brief Activity #5 – Online Survey: due by 11:59 PM
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Date
Topic
Readings, Notes & Assignments
Week 7
2/20
M
No Lecture, No Office Hours
2/22
W
Lecture 10:
Decision Making (Part 2)
1) Article: “When Words Decide”
2) Nudge: “Introduction”
3) Nudge: Chapter 1: “Biases and blunders”
Week 8
2/27
3/1
M
Lecture 11:
Decision Making (Part 3)
1) Nudge: Chapter 1: “Biases and blunders”
W
Lecture 12:
Choice, Money & Time
1) Nudge: Chapter 2 p. 60-63 (the “Mental Accounting” section)
2) Nudge: Chapter 9: “Save More Tomorrow”
3) Article: “Simple nudges to get people started on…”
4) Article: “Tyranny of Choice”
Week 9
3/6
3/8
M
Lecture 13:
Choice Architecture and
Behavioral Insights (Part 1)
1) Nudge: Chapter 2: “Resisting Temptations”
2) Nudge: Chapter 4: “When do we need a nudge?”
3) Article: “Wooing us down the aisle”
W
Lecture 14:
Choice Architecture and
Behavioral Insights (Part 2)
1) Nudge: Chapter 5: “Choice architecture”
2) Nudge: Chapter 6: “But Wait, There’s More”
3) Nudge: Chapter 13: “Organ Donations”
4) Nudge: Chapter 15: “Much Ado About Nudging”
Spring Break
3/13 &
3/15
Spring Break – No Lectures M & W
Week 10
3/20
M
Lecture 15:
C.B. Research Methods
1) “Creating the Demand Landscape” (in Coursepack) p. 1-11
3/22
W
EXAM 2
7:00 – 8:00 PM on Honorlock (ALL STUDENTS)
3/26
S
Activity #6 – Personality – “The Big 5” Personality Assessment: due by 11:59 PM
Week 11
3/27
M
Lecture 16:
Personality & Situational Factors
1) Solomon: Chapter 7 p. 227-230
2) Article: “What Marketers … Personality-based Marketing”
We will discuss what is due for the Bose / Beats Case Assignment
3/29
W
Lecture 17:
Social influences: Conformity
1) Solomon: Chapter 11 p. 396-397
2) Nudge: Chapter 3: “Following the Herd”
3) Article: “The Manager in Red Sneakers”
4/2
S
Bose Mini Case: due by 11:59 PM
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Date
Topic
Readings, Notes & Assignments
Week 12
M
Lecture 18:
Social influences: Social Power
and Reference Groups
1) Solomon: Chapter 11 p. 392-396 and p. 180
2) Solomon: “CB As I See It” p. 185
4/5
W
Lecture 19:
Social influences on Decision
Making: Word-of-Mouth and
Expert Opinion Leaders
1) Solomon: Chapter 11 p. 399-407
2) Article: “What Marketers Misunderstand About Online
Reviews”
3) Article: “Yelp is Leaving Chains Behind”
4) Case in Harvard Coursepack: Bose Corporation
4/9
S
Brief Activity #7 – Online Survey: due by 11:59 PM
4/3
Week 13
4/10
M
Lecture 20:
Social Media and Influencer
Marketing
PRE-RECORDED LECTURE
(No live lecture, no office hours)
4/12
W
Lecture 21: More Social &
Environmental Situational Factors
Affecting Consumer Behavior
4/16
S
Activity #8 – Influencer Marketing: due by 11:59 PM
Articles:
1) “What’s the Value of a Like?”
2) “Influencer marketing: Social media influencers as human…”:
read ONLY p. 1 and p. 3-4 (begin at “Study 1” on p. 3)
Articles:
1) “Cues of being watched enhance cooperation”
2) “Can Music Change the Way Your Wine Tastes?”
Week 14
Article: “Good Habits, Bad Habits: A Conversation with Wendy
Wood”
4/17
M
Lecture 22: Habits
4/19
W
Lecture 23: Your Own Influence
4/23
S
Activity #9 – Habit Change: due by 11:59 PM
Week 15
4/24
M
EXAM 3
7:00 – 8:00 PM on Honorlock (ALL STUDENTS)
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