CONSUMER
PSYCHOLOGY
Presentation created by:
Peggy Sue Loroz and Maria Cronley
Gonzaga University and Miami University of Ohio
Division 23, Society for Consumer Psychology
American Psychological Association
What is Consumer Psychology?
• Consumer psychology is the study of human responses to product
and service related information and experiences.
• Consumer psychologists study consumer activities associated with
the purchase, use, and disposal of goods and services, including
the consumer’s emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses
that precede, determine, or follow these activities.
• A broad range of product and service related information is relevant to
consumer psychology, including marketer initiated stimuli (e.g.,
advertisements, websites, package labels, coupons, point-ofpurchase displays), consumer magazines and other media, as well as
word-of-mouth communications from friends and relatives.
Consumer Psychology (cont.)
• Consumer psychology employs theoretical psychological approaches
to understanding consumers.
• Consumer psychologists draw upon social, cognitive, developmental,
and other psychology domains.
• Consumer psychologists use a variety of research methods including
quantitative (e.g., lab and field experiments, surveys) and qualitative
(e.g., interviews, observation) approaches.
• The goals of consumer psychologists are to describe, predict,
influence, and/or explain consumer responses.
History*
• The field of Consumer Psychology grew as consumer society grew
• An increased interest in understanding consumers was driven by:
• Increased production and adoption of consumer goods (ranging from
Coca-Cola to household appliances and automobiles) in the 1920’s and
1930’s
• The advent of advertising via radio (1920) and television (1941)
• After World War II, governments around the world sought to
strengthen their economies in part through increased consumer
spending, further bolstering interest in this area.
• The Division of Consumer Psychology of the APA was formed in 1960
to represent psychologists whose interests lie in consumer-related
topics. The name was changed in 1988 to The Society for Consumer
Psychology.
* Based on Jansson-Boyd, C. V. (2010). Consumer psychology: what it is and how it emerged. Consumer
Psychology (pp. 1-13), New York: Open University Press.
Why Study Consumer Psychology?
• To improve business performance
• To influence public policy
• To educate and help consumers make better decisions
What Consumer Psychologists Do
• IN THE LABORATORY, a psychologist is tracking eye movements as research
participants observe a succession of soft drink containers.
• AT A GOVERNMENT BUREAU, a psychologist presents the results of a study
concerning consumer responses to an advertising claim that is literally true but
has false inferential implications.
• AT AN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, a psychologist assesses consumer responses
to various combinations of product features to help engineers determine the
optimal combination.
• AT A UNIVERSITY, a psychologist is helping to develop a theoretical model of
financial decisions made by families.
• AT AN ADVERTISING AGENCY, a psychologist is presenting study findings that
show how well alternative advertisements improve attitudes toward a brand of
coffee.
Primary Domains of Inquiry
• Memory and Learning
• Perception and Attention
• Motivation and Emotions
• Information Processing
• Attitude Formation and Change
• Decision Making
• Personality and Self-concept
• Culture and Values
• Group and Interpersonal Influence
Studying Consumer Psychology
• Training in consumer psychology is designed to provide
students with:
• experience in analyzing and evaluating human behavior patterns
• an understanding of the scientific process and how to go about
hypothesis testing
• the ability to translate complex issues into testable alternatives
• experience in both non-experimental and experimental design
• the ability to apply descriptive and inferential statistics
• the ability to analyze data and interpret findings
• experience in writing proposals and research reports in a clear and
precise manner
APA Division 23:
The Society for Consumer Psychology
• SCP is an intimate collection of scholars and practitioners
dedicated to the growth and advancement of consumer
psychology through scientific interests and inquiry and the
application of research findings to practice.
• SCP also seeks to advance consumer and public welfare
through the work of its members.
Resources for Students
• Society for Consumer Psychology
• http://www.myscp.org
• APA Division 23, Consumer Psychology
• http://www.apa.org/about/division/div23.aspx
• Journal of Consumer Psychology
• http://www.myscp.org/jcp.aspx