Consumer Psychology Essay Research Paper Pg Two

Consumer Psychology Essay, Research Paper

Pg. Two

Consumer psychology (CP) is the study of human responses to products

and services. (Beall & Allen, 1997) They study the psychological factors that

determine an individual’s behavior as a consumer. (Maloney, 1990) Consumer

psychology started only recently. It was established in a division by the

American Psychological Association in 1960 as a sub-catorgory of social

psychology. (Mittelstaedt, 1990) Consumer psychology includes many things,

such as marketing, consumer behavior and motivations, promotion, and

communication. (Beall & Allen, 1997)

Marketing is a very important part of consumer psychology. (Kotler &

Armstrong, 1991) Understanding why people buy what they buy is at the heart of

all marketing research. (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991) Companies depend on

research on marketing products and consumer behavior. (Maloney, 1990)

Responses to information about products and services are influenced by three

major factors: (1) personality variables, prior attitudes and opinions, (2)

situational variables and (3) person by situation interactions. (Beall & Allen,

1997) Many responses are relevant, including emotional, cognitive (beliefs and j

Judgments), and behavioral (purchase decisions and consumption related

practices) responses. (Beall & Allen, 1997) In order for the consumer

psychologist to figure out what the average consumer is thinking, they must be

able to: (Beall & Allen, 1997)

. Define problem areas

Pg. Three

. Create a system to analyze data

. Offer new perspectives

. Develop new solutions for recurring problems

. Evaluate theories and evidence

. Compare/constrast ideas and information

. Observe people/data/things

. Hypothesize research question

. Develop ideas and theories

. Gather information

. Clarify goals/problems

. Organize and analyzing data

. Summarize results

. Synthesize conclusions

These tasks help the consumer psychologist learn the mind of the average

consumer, they are then able to accurately provide information to companies

and help consumers get products and services that best satisfy these needs and

wants. (Maloney, 1990)

Research methods provide the foundation for all knowledge in a field of

inquiry. (Mittelstaedt, 1990) Consumer psychology depend critically on the

quality and sophistication of available research methods and computer

simulation. (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991) Sophisticated physiological measures,

Pg. Four

scale development procedures, and multivariate statistical techniques are also

used by consumer psychologists. (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991) The ability to

understand consumers’ reaction to product and service entails a variety of skills

such as:

. Analyzing/modifying behavior

. Motivating

. Perceiving and understanding individual differences

. Fostering group dynamics

. Exhibiting empathy toward others

. Identifying and understanding needs

. Influencing and persuading people/groups

. Informing/explaining ideas

. Mediating/negotiating conflicts

. Writing clearly

. Presenting information effectively

These skills are the key for the psychologists’ understanding of the consumers’

needs, wants and preferences. (Beall & Allen, 1997)

Consumer psychologists are educators, researchers, and administrators. (Maloney, 1990) A bachelor’s degree in psychology offer very few opportunities

directly related to psychology. Without additional academic training, a bachelor’s

degree holders opportunities in psychology are severely limited.(McMichael,

2000) Master’s degree consumer psychologists may work as industrial-

Pg. Five

organizational psychologists. (Mittelstaedt, 1990) Masters’ degree holders with

several years of industrial experience can obtain jobs in consulting and

marketing research. (McMichael, 2000) Others work as psychological

assistants, under the supervision of doctoral-level psychologists, and conduct

psychological evaluations. In the Federal Government, candidates having at

least 24 semester hours in psychology and one course in statistics qualify for

entry-level positions. (McMichael,2000) Because this is one of the few areas in

which one can work as a psychologist without an advanced degree, competition

for these jobs is very high. (McMichael, 2000) Persons with a Ph.D. in consumer

psychology qualify for a wide range of teaching, research, clinical, and

counseling positions in universities, elementary and secondary schools, private

industry, and government. (McMichael, 2000) Most States certify those with a

master’s degree as school psychologists after completion of an internship.

(McMichael, 2000)

Some consumer psychologist maintain part-time clinical practices as we

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать