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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "MKT 310-3"
COURSE NAME: "Consumer Behavior"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Andrea Giambarresi
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 6:00 PM 7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: MKT 301
OFFICE HOURS: Monday 08:00 - 09:00 am
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on the study of consumer decision-making processes, consumer behavior models and their impact on the development of marketing strategies and tactics. Topics discussed include consumers’ impact on marketing strategy, consumer involvement, cultural influences on consumer decision making, perception, learning, memory, attitudes and persuasion, situational effects, and the social power of groups and collective decision making. The emphasis is on understanding how the consumer decision-making process works and how it may be influenced by organizations. Teaching methodology includes case studies and an emphasis on experiential research.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course provides a comprehensive examination of consumer behavior from psychological, sociological, and cultural perspectives. Students will explore how consumers make decisions, form attitudes, and are influenced by individual characteristics, social groups, and cultural contexts. The course emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical marketing applications.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The course meets twice weekly over 12 weeks, with each week addressing a major thematic area. The syllabus integrates the textbook's four sections into a logical learning progression that builds from foundational concepts through individual psychology, decision-making processes, and finally to social and cultural influences.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Mid TermA the end of the first part of the court we will have a midterm on topics discussed20%
Final ExamFinal Exam on all the topic discussed during the semester40%
In class ParticipationParticipating during class will be fundamental to follow the learning path as expected and to learn all the topics in a proactive way (Flipped class method will be applied)20%
Project WorkDuring the course students will work on a project work related to practical business cases20%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: Buying, Having, and Being

12-Week Course Syllabus

John Cabot University

Textbook: Solomon, Michael R. (2018). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being (12th Global Edition). Pearson.

Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive examination of consumer behavior from psychological, sociological, and cultural perspectives. Students will explore how consumers make decisions, form attitudes, and are influenced by individual characteristics, social groups, and cultural contexts. The course emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical marketing applications.

Course Structure

The course meets twice weekly over 12 weeks, with each week addressing a major thematic area. The syllabus integrates the textbook's four sections into a logical learning progression that builds from foundational concepts through individual psychology, decision-making processes, and finally to social and cultural influences.

WEEK 1: Introduction to Consumer Behavior and the Consumer Marketplace

Main Topic: Foundations of Consumer Behavior: Understanding the Field and Its Impact

Lecture 1: What is Consumer Behavior?

  • Reading: Chapter 1 (pp. 26-55)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Consumer behavior as a process: buying, having, and being
    • The consumer's role in marketing strategy
    • Market segmentation and consumer diversity
    • The digital native and the "always-on" consumer
    • Interdisciplinary foundations of consumer behavior
    • Academic vs. applied perspectives in consumer research

Lecture 2: Consumer Well-Being and Marketing Ethics

  • Reading: Chapter 2 (pp. 56-90)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Business ethics and consumer rights
    • The manipulation debate: needs vs. wants
    • Consumer satisfaction and product quality
    • Transformative consumer research
    • Social marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR)
    • The dark side of consumer behavior (addiction, compulsion, illegal consumption)

Learning Objectives:

  • Define consumer behavior and understand its process nature
  • Identify how consumers impact marketing strategy
  • Evaluate ethical issues in marketing and consumer welfare
  • Recognize the dark side of consumption

WEEK 2: Sensory Perception and Consumer Experience

Main Topic: How Consumers Perceive and Experience Products and Services

Lecture 1: Sensation and Sensory Marketing

  • Reading: Chapter 3, Part 1 (pp. 96-107)
  • Topics Covered:
    • The five senses in marketing
    • Hedonic consumption
    • Sensory marketing strategies (vision, sound, scent, touch, taste)
    • Sensory thresholds and Weber's Law
    • Subliminal perception

Lecture 2: The Perceptual Process

  • Reading: Chapter 3, Part 2 (pp. 108-124)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Stage 1: Exposure
    • Stage 2: Attention (selective attention, perceptual selection)
    • Stage 3: Interpretation (perceptual organization, schemas)
    • Semiotics and consumer meaning-making

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how sensory systems influence consumer behavior
  • Apply sensory marketing principles to product design
  • Understand the stages of perception
  • Analyze how consumers interpret marketing stimuli

WEEK 3: Learning, Memory, and Consumer Knowledge

Main Topic: How Consumers Learn About Products and Remember Marketing Messages

Lecture 1: Learning Theories in Consumer Behavior

  • Reading: Chapter 4, Part 1 (pp. 130-149)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Behavioral learning theories
    • Classical conditioning in marketing
    • Instrumental (operant) conditioning principles
    • Gamification and consumer engagement
    • Cognitive learning theory
    • Observational learning and modeling

Lecture 2: Consumer Memory Systems

  • Reading: Chapter 4, Part 2 (pp. 150-163)
  • Topics Covered:
    • How memory works: encoding, storage, retrieval
    • Memory systems (sensory, short-term, long-term)
    • Nostalgia marketing
    • Brand recall and recognition
    • Factors affecting forgetting
    • Measuring memory for marketing messages

Learning Objectives:

  • Compare behavioral and cognitive learning theories
  • Apply conditioning principles to marketing strategy
  • Explain how consumers encode and retrieve brand information
  • Design marketing communications that enhance memory

WEEK 4: Motivation, Emotion, and Consumer Involvement

Main Topic: What Drives Consumer Behavior: Needs, Wants, and Feelings

Lecture 1: Consumer Motivation

  • Reading: Chapter 5, Part 1 (pp. 172-179)
  • Topics Covered:
    • The motivation process
    • Motivational strength and direction
    • Drive theory and expectancy theory
    • Classifying consumer needs (Maslow's hierarchy, Murray's psychogenic needs)
    • Hedonic vs. utilitarian motivations

Lecture 2: Affect and Consumer Involvement

  • Reading: Chapter 5, Part 2 (pp. 180-194)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Types of affective responses
    • Positive affect (happiness, flow states)
    • Negative affect (guilt, envy, embarrassment)
    • How social media tap emotions
    • Consumer involvement types
    • Product involvement, message involvement, and purchase situation involvement

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify major motivational theories and their marketing applications
  • Distinguish between different consumer needs
  • Explain how emotions influence consumer decisions
  • Assess different types and levels of consumer involvement

WEEK 5: The Self and Consumer Identity

Main Topic: Self-Concept, Gender, Body Image, and Consumer Identity

Lecture 1: The Self and Consumer Identity

  • Reading: Chapter 6, Part 1 (pp. 200-220)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Self-concept and identity
    • Multiple selves
    • Self-esteem and self-consciousness
    • Extended self and possessions
    • Embodied cognition
    • The digital self (selfies, online identity)
    • Gender identity and sex roles
    • Sex-typed products

Lecture 2: The Body and Beauty

  • Reading: Chapter 6, Part 2 (pp. 221-232)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Body image and body cathexis
    • Ideals of beauty across cultures
    • Body decoration and modification
    • Cosmetic surgery and body alteration
    • The "perfect body" in advertising
    • Body positivity movements

Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze how consumption reflects and shapes self-identity
  • Evaluate the role of gender in consumer behavior
  • Critically assess beauty standards and their marketing implications
  • Understand the digital self and online identity

WEEK 6: Personality, Lifestyles, and Values

Main Topic: Individual Differences: Personality Traits, Lifestyles, and Personal Values

Lecture 1: Personality and Brand Personality

  • Reading: Chapter 7, Part 1 (pp. 242-257)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Freudian psychoanalytic theory
    • Neo-Freudian approaches (Horney, Jung)
    • Trait theory and the "Big Five"
    • Brand personality dimensions
    • Anthropomorphization of brands

Lecture 2: Lifestyles, Psychographics, and Values

  • Reading: Chapter 7, Part 2 (pp. 258-274)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Lifestyle marketing
    • Product complementarity
    • Psychographic segmentation (VALS, PRIZM)
    • Values and value systems
    • Core values across cultures
    • Materialism and consumer culture

Learning Objectives:

  • Apply personality theories to consumer behavior
  • Understand brand personality and its strategic importance
  • Use psychographic segmentation for marketing
  • Identify core values and their influence on consumption

WEEK 7: Attitudes and Attitude Change

Main Topic: Consumer Attitudes: Formation, Structure, and Change

Lecture 1: Understanding Consumer Attitudes

  • Reading: Chapter 8, Part 1 (pp. 284-301)
  • Topics Covered:
    • The ABC model of attitudes
    • Hierarchies of effects
    • Attitude formation
    • Cognitive dissonance theory
    • Self-perception theory
    • Balance theory
    • Multi-attribute attitude models

Lecture 2: Persuasive Communications

  • Reading: Chapter 8, Part 2 (pp. 302-324)
  • Topics Covered:
    • The communication model
    • Source characteristics (credibility, attractiveness)
    • Message structure and appeals
    • Social media and viral marketing
    • Native advertising
    • Reality engineering
    • Emotional vs. rational appeals

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain attitude components and formation processes
  • Apply consistency theories to marketing situations
  • Design effective persuasive communications
  • Evaluate source and message factors in advertising

WEEK 8: Consumer Decision Making

Main Topic: How Consumers Make Purchase Decisions

Lecture 1: The Decision-Making Process

  • Reading: Chapter 9, Part 1 (pp. 334-351)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Problem recognition
    • Information search (internal and external)
    • Evaluation of alternatives
    • Hyperchoice and decision fatigue
    • Cognitive decision-making models
    • Neuromarketing
    • Online decision making
    • Product categorization

Lecture 2: Decision-Making Shortcuts and Collective Decisions

  • Reading: Chapter 9, Part 2 (pp. 352-368)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Habitual decision making
    • Priming and nudging
    • Heuristics and mental shortcuts
    • B2B decision making
    • Family decision making
    • Household decision roles

Learning Objectives:

  • Map the consumer decision-making process
  • Distinguish between cognitive and habitual decision making
  • Identify heuristics and biases in consumer choices
  • Analyze organizational and family purchase decisions

WEEK 9: The Shopping Experience and Post-Purchase Behavior

Main Topic: Buying, Using, and Disposing of Products

Lecture 1: The Shopping Context

  • Reading: Chapter 10, Part 1 (pp. 380-396)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Situational influences on behavior
    • The consumption situation
    • Temporal factors (time of day, time pressure)
    • The shopping experience
    • E-commerce vs. brick-and-mortar
    • Retailing as theater/experiential retail
    • In-store decision making and impulse buying
    • Point-of-purchase stimuli
    • The sharing economy

Lecture 2: Post-Purchase and Product Disposal

  • Reading: Chapter 10, Part 2 (pp. 397-401)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Post-purchase satisfaction and dissatisfaction
    • Expectancy disconfirmation model
    • Customer loyalty
    • Product disposal options
    • Lateral recycling
    • Environmental concerns in disposal

Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze situational factors affecting purchase behavior
  • Compare online and offline shopping experiences
  • Evaluate post-purchase processes
  • Understand product disposal and its implications

WEEK 10: Social Influence and Social Media

Main Topic: Group Dynamics, Social Media, and Consumer Behavior

Lecture 1: Reference Groups and Social Power

  • Reading: Chapter 11, Part 1 (pp. 414-430)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Types of social power
    • Reference groups (membership, aspirational, dissociative)
    • Conformity and social influence
    • Brand communities
    • Word-of-mouth communication
    • Buzz marketing
    • Negative WOM and complaint behavior
    • Opinion leadership

Lecture 2: The Social Media Revolution

  • Reading: Chapter 11, Part 2 (pp. 430-438)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Social networking sites
    • Online brand communities
    • Social games and gamification
    • Digital word-of-mouth
    • User-generated content
    • Digital opinion leaders and influencers
    • Viral marketing

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how reference groups influence consumer behavior
  • Understand opinion leadership and influencer marketing
  • Analyze social media's impact on consumer decisions
  • Design effective word-of-mouth and viral campaigns

WEEK 11: Income, Social Class, and Subcultures

Main Topic: Socioeconomic and Subcultural Influences on Consumption

Lecture 1: Income and Social Class

  • Reading: Chapter 12 (pp. 446-472)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Income and consumer confidence
    • Income inequality
    • Social stratification systems
    • Measuring social class
    • Status symbols and conspicuous consumption
    • Taste cultures and cultural capital
    • Social capital online and offline

Lecture 2: Subcultures and Consumer Diversity

  • Reading: Chapter 13 (pp. 478-505)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Ethnic and racial subcultures
    • Acculturation processes
    • Hispanic, African American, and Asian American consumers
    • Religious subcultures
    • Age cohorts (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers)
    • Geographic and regional subcultures

Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze how social class affects consumption patterns
  • Understand subcultural influences on consumer behavior
  • Develop culturally sensitive marketing strategies
  • Recognize generational differences in consumption

WEEK 12: Culture and Global Consumer Behavior

Main Topic: Cultural Values, Rituals, and the Global Marketplace

Lecture 1: Cultural Meaning Systems

  • Reading: Chapter 14, Part 1 (pp. 514-536)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Cultural systems and values
    • High culture vs. low culture
    • Myths and cultural stories
    • Rituals (holiday, gift-giving, grooming, rites of passage)
    • Sacred and profane consumption
    • Sacralization processes

Lecture 2: Innovation Diffusion and Global Marketing

  • Reading: Chapter 14, Part 2 (pp. 537-552)
  • Topics Covered:
    • Diffusion of innovations
    • Adopter categories
    • The fashion system and fashion cycles
    • Global consumer culture
    • Standardization vs. localization strategies
    • Cross-cultural consumer behavior

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand how culture shapes consumption
  • Analyze rituals and their marketing implications
  • Explain innovation adoption processes
  • Evaluate global marketing strategies