MKTG 312: Consumer Behavior Master Syllabus
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Course Description
A course focusing on consumer behavior has the potential to be one of the most interesting and relevant for your professional and personal lives. First, we are all consumers and have vast amounts of experience buying and consuming products and services, as a result we can use the material in this course to reflect upon our own behavior. Second, we will examine concepts, processes and approaches that inform marketing strategy as to what, how, when, where and why people consume. To be a skilled marketer you need to understand your consumers and why they behave as they do. It is the aim of this course to equip you with current knowledge of how individual psychology and socio-cultural factors influence consumer behavior.
Purpose of the Course
This course focuses on the application of the behavioral sciences to understanding consumer behavior. Emphasis will be placed on developing an appreciation for the scope of the topic, understanding the essentials underlying consumer behavior, and developing the ability to relate such understanding to important issues faced by marketing practitioners. Traditional research oriented topics will include perception, memory, affect, learning, persuasion, motivation, behavioral decision theory, and environmental (e.g., social and cultural) influences. All topic presentations will also include a discussion of practitioner oriented managerial implications.
Specific Objectives
- To develop an understanding of the various internal and external influences that impact on consumer behavior and the wide range of perspectives and theories that can be used to study it (e.g., sociological, psychological, economic, etc.
- To increase students' knowledge of terms, concepts, theories and tools that pertains to the study of buyer behavior and consumer psychology.
- To help students understand the individual, psychological processes that affect consumer decision-making and purchase behavior (e.g., research on buyer motives, attitudes, and decision processes).
- To help students appreciate the relevance of buyer behavior to marketing management for product, price, place, and promotion decisions.
- To instill in students a healthy skepticism that makes you want to interpret theory and research relevant to buyer behavior for yourself, rather than simply accepting someone else's interpretation.
- To explore how international, cross-cultural considerations influence consumers around the world.
- To develop students' ability to analyze, and describe in writing, relevant buyer behavior topics as they apply to actual marketing activities (e.g., advertising, pricing, distribution, sales).
Textbook
Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy, 15th ed., Mothersbaugh, Kleiser & Hawkins, McGraw-Hill
Required Technology and Canvas Login Instructions
Students are required to have regular, reliable access to a portable computer that meets the required minimum requirements. See detailed information on the George Mason University Costello College of Business minimum computing requirements.
Access to MyMason and George Mason email are required to participate successfully in this course. Please make sure to update your computer and prepare yourself to begin using the online format BEFORE the first day of class. Check the IT Support Center website for help and information about Canvas. Take time to learn each. Make sure you run a system check a few days before class. Become familiar with the attributes of Canvas and online learning.
Class Content
Deadlines in the Course
All work in this class – both individual and group – is due by the deadlines specified below and on Canvas. Work is due on Canvas no later than 11:59pm on the date specified and at the start of class for hard copies. There are no exceptions. Without prior permission, work that is turned in after the deadline will NOT be graded and will receive zero points.
Primary “Lectures”
You should keep up with all the materials in the class each week. I will be providing in-class lectures to supplement the text and the other learning materials. These lectures will be used primarily to introduce key concepts, clarify difficult topics, and supplement the text. It is strongly recommended that you take notes during these lectures – the PPT slides are only an outline of the class material and will not be sufficient for preparing for exams.
Exercises, Discussions, and Assignments
These occur throughout the semester and are designed to encourage application of the concepts covered in the course. It is very important that you attend classes and stay on top of the schedule and deadlines for work in the class!
Class Discussion Forum Assignments
To supplement our in-class sessions, this course has multiple class wide Blackboard discussion assignments. Your discussion and replies to others posts will be graded based on quality, timeliness, responsiveness, and moving the discussion forward. Discussion posts and replies have specific deadlines after which discussion postings will not count.
Individual Written Assignments
There are four options for written assignments in this course - - only two that you are to submit for a grade (these are described in a separate section at the end of the syllabus and on Canvas). The written assignments should be at least 3 and no more than 5 pages in length. No external research should be used (use of the text and class PPT are fine). NOTE: Assignments are due on the day/time noted in the class calendar. Without prior permission, no work will be graded after the deadline has passed.
Expectations for All Written Assignments (Individual & Group)
Since this is a 300-level course I have high expectations and standards for work handed in during the semester. All work in this class should be neat, well organized (including sections, headings and subheadings), and professional looking – appropriate as professional, business writing.
I expect all students to write business English accurately and clearly and carefully proofread all deliverables. The minimum writing standard for assignments is a maximum of one major writing error per page of a double-spaced paper. Examples of major errors are: to begin a sentence without a capital letter; to end a sentence without a period or other punctuation mark; to misspell; to confuse "its" and "it's"; to confuse plurals and possessives, "companies" versus "company's"; and so forth. Readability/style, clarity, and writing quality will be part of the overall grade for all written assignments.
Additional Requirements for All Deliverables (Group & Individual)
*Formatting written deliverables* All written work must be Word documents (.pdf files will NOT be graded), double-spaced, use 12 pt. Times-Roman font, and have page numbers and one-inch margins and your name (or group’s number and members’ names) on the paper. Additionally, you need to make use of headings, subheadings and specific sections in order to more effectively organize and present your discussions and analyses.
*Naming individual and group deliverable files*
Word files must be named with your last name as part of the document name or group number for group deliverables.
*You do not have to cite the textbook or PPT slides.
Papers not following any of these guidelines will have their grades negatively impacted or will not be graded.
Additional Writing Information
To cite and reference research sources, please use APA style.
Specific instructions for in-text citations and referencing are found in the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
To help manage the citations and seamlessly create reference lists, Mason supports free software called Zotero.
George Mason University has a writing center that can help you improve your English writing skills.
Team Project
Detailed information about the project will be provided on Canvas. The project is designed to give you experience both in working in groups and in applying your understanding of consumer behavior concepts (as studied in this course). There will be 3-5 students per group and students will be randomly assigned to groups by the second week of classes. NOTE: Projects used for credit in other classes may NOT be used for credit in this class.
** All students are required to participate, contribute, and cooperate in their groups throughout the entire semester. This includes actively communicating with the group throughout the project. Individuals should not plan on “making up” effort as the semester winds down.
** It will be the group’s responsibility to manage how your group functions, including handling most minor problems that arise. If a group member consistently fails to contribute, the rest of the group should come speak to me. In the extreme case, members have the right to “fire” members, but only if I have been consulted in advance and if the team is willing to take a five-percent (5%) penalty on the grade for their project. Fired group members will receive a grade of zero for the entire project.
The project consists of five parts: (1) First, your group needs to agree on and set up a means of communicating for the semester by Sunday 9/8. (2) Next, your group will need to choose the branded product you will be analyzing no later than Thursday, 9/19 – You will need to submit a brief description of the product on Bb and get approval for the selection before moving on to the rest of the project. The rest of the deliverables are as follows: (3) A written Progress Report (5-7 pages) that provides information on the product, company, industry and information about the performance of the product selected by the group (due on Canvas and hard copy turned in by the start of class, Wednesday 10/9). (3) A written CB Concept Analysis (57 pages) due on Canvas by Sunday 11/10, hard copy at start of class 11/11. (4) A final, written report (5-7 pages) focusing on the CB concepts and providing recommendations based on them as well as an in- class group PPT presentation. All work, from all groups, is due on Canvas and hard copy by start of class by Monday 12/2 (see class schedule). The presentation must use PowerPoint and be no longer than 15 minutes. All team members must participate in the presentation, although not necessarily for equal periods of time. Additionally: A mandatory individual, confidential peer evaluation (due on Canvas by Monday 12/9) of each of your group members will be included as part of the final grade.
Chapter Quizzes
Quizzes will help you check your comprehension of key concepts and help you prepare for the exams. You have to take a quiz in Blackboard for each chapter you read. Quizzes contain 10 questions worth 1 point each. You will have up to 15 minutes to complete each quiz. However, you will also have two attempts for each quiz. Only your highest grade will be recorded in the grade center. Quiz questions are similar to the pools of questions used for your exams so taking the chapter quizzes should benefit your exam performance.
Online Exams
There will be three exams this semester administered on Canvas. All three exams will consist of multiple choice and True/False questions that address issues raised in the textbook as well as other materials covered online. It is very important that you keep up with the assigned readings and online calendar in order to perform well on the tests.
The three exams are closed book, closed notes. This course requires the use of the Respondus LockDown Browser and a webcam (monitor) for online exams. The webcam can be built into your computer (internal webcam) or can be the type of webcam that plugs in with a USB cable (external webcam). A Quick Start Guide for Students is also available. The LockDown Browser application needs to be installed on your computer first and you need to access the exams through the class Canvas site. The link to detailed instructions is posted in Canvas.
Important: You will be recorded during the exam. Any "unusual" (e.g., consistently looking off-screen, using any device, leaving the camera’s range, consistently moving out of frame) behavior will be auto-flagged by Canvas and then reviewed by the instructor.
Possible penalties for these issues will be considered.
Exam 1 covers chapters 1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 20, Exam 2 covers chapters 8 – 11, and the final Exam 3 covers chapters 13 – 18. All three exams have 60 questions. All exams must be taken by the due date noted in the Course Calendar. Exams are timed (max of 75 minutes) and must be completed by 11:59pm on the due date. Only one attempt is allowed, so make sure you find a quiet place with a reliable internet connection to take your exam without any interruptions.
Other Exam Details: The three exams are closed book, closed notes. You must be alone when taking the exam. Any use of notes, text, PPT slides or electronic devices during testing times can be interpreted as a violation of the University Honor Code. These devices include cell phones, electronic translators, and similar devices. Any student using notes or such devices during an exam or any form of cheating during exams will result in a grade of zero for the test and will be referred to the Honor Council. No make-up exams will be given unless there is a legitimate, university approved medical or family emergency. Simply going to the doctor is NOT an excuse. A written note must explain why you could not take the exam. No excuses will be accepted after the exam is given. Students missing either of the first two exams with a legitimate, excused absence must clear this with me prior to the exam. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
Attendance, Class Participation, Interaction & Engagement
Because this course is a 300-level course, and comprehensive in nature, active class engagement is particularly important! Class activities will supplement, and often go beyond, text material. The PPT slides from class will provide an “outline” of this material only. Students are expected to attend classes, keep up with the class calendar, read all assigned materials, listen and take notes at weekly lectures, submit all assignments by the due date, and actively participate. If there is a definition, concept or principle you do not understand, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification. You should regularly check your George Mason e-mail for class related information. I will evaluate your participation in discussions and exercises, as well as the quality of your questions, comments, etc. and this will make up part of your final grade (30 points). Simply attending class is necessary, but not sufficient – you must participate.
- Out of courtesy to your peers, students are expected to be in class on time and to remain for the entire class period. Multiple late arrivals are not acceptable. Arriving late or leaving early is extremely disruptive and will negatively affect your grade. Regarding electronic devices (such as laptops, cell phones, etc.), please be respectful of your peers and your instructor and do not engage in activities that are unrelated to class. Such disruptions show a lack of professionalism and may affect your participation grade.
- You are encouraged to keep current with CB and marketing related issues by reading newspapers, business magazines, books, and online news sources. The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fortune and BusinessWeek are all highly recommended.
Grading
| Exam 1 | 100 points |
| Exam 2 | 100 points |
| Exam 3 | 100 points |
| Chapter Quizzes (16) | 160 points |
| Discussion Boards (8) | 180 points |
| Individual Assignments (2) | 100 points |
| Class Participation | 30 points |
| Group CB Project | 130 points |
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10 points |
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55 points |
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75 points |
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90 points |
| TOTAL | 1000 points |
Grading Scale
- A+ (1000-970)
- A (969-940)
- A- (939-900)
- B+ (899-870)
- B (869-840)
- B- (839-800)
- C+ (799-770)
- C (769-700)
- D (699-600)
- F (599-0)
Additional Important Course Information
Deadlines
All deadlines are final. Assignments are due at the time specified on the due date. Any course work submitted after the deadline without prior permission will not be graded and will receive zero points.
My Accessibility: Office Hours & Meetings
I am available to talk with you about any aspect of the course – or about anything that is on your mind. Please let me know if I can help. For the semester, students will need to make appointments for in person, virtual or phone meetings. Additionally, Email is the preferred way to get in touch with me.
George Mason Email must be used at all times for correspondence with me. No exceptions. Students should clearly identify themselves and their course number and section in any Email correspondence. I will not respond to messages sent from, or send messages to, a non-Mason email address.
Schedule of Class Activities
** The instructor reserves the right to vary from policies outlined in this syllabus. This syllabus and schedule are my best estimate of how class will proceed. Occasional changes to the schedule and assignments will be announced on Canvas. For the purposes of this course, a week is defined as beginning at 12:01 am each Monday, and ending at 11:59 pm on the following Sunday.
All work in this class – both individual and group – is due by the deadlines specified below and on Canvas. Work is due on Canvas no later than 11:59pm on the date specified and at the start of class for hard copies. There are no exceptions. Without prior permission, work that is turned in after the deadline will NOT be graded and will receive zero points.
All work must be properly formatted and named Word documents (.pdf files will not be graded).
To help you manage your schedule and time to complete the assignments in this course, please follow the recommended timeline below. If you have a question or concern or encounter a problem about an assignment, please contact me immediately
| Date | Modules | Objectives | Activities/Assessments |
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| Week 1 | Module 1- Introductions, the scope of CB & how we study it |
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| Week 2 | Module 2 - Regulatory & Ethical Issues in CB |
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| Week 3 | Module 3 - CB & the Self |
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| Week 4 | Module 4 - Cross- Cultural/International CB and Families/Household s in CB |
Chapter 2
Chapter 6:
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| Week 5 | Module 5 - CB & Other Group Processes |
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| Week 6 | Module 6 - Information Processing & Perception |
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| Week 7 | Module 7 - Learning & Memory; EXAM 1 |
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| Week 8 | Module 8 - Motivation & Emotions |
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| Week 9 | Module 9 - Attitudes |
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| Week 10 | Module 10 - Situational Influences |
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| Week 11 | Module 11 - Decision Process & Problem Recognition and Information Search EXAM 2 |
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
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| Week 12 | Module 12 - Alternative Evaluation and Choice |
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| Week 13 | Module 13- Outlet Choice & Purchase; Postpurchase CB |
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
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| Week 14: 11/25 – 12/1 (No Class – Wednesday) |
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| Week 15 | Module 14 - Group Projects |
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| Week 16: 12/9 – 12/15 (No Class – Wednesday) |
Module 14 - Group Projects |
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| Final Exam | Module 15 - Final Exam | Exam 3 covering Chapters 13-18 | Exam will be available 12/14 and must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, 12/16 |
Individual Assignments
* Write-ups are to be at least three (3) and no more than five (5) pages in length*
** IMPORTANT – You may not use examples that were used in class or the text. ** *
* IMPORTANT – All work in this class is due by the deadline specified above and on Canvas. Work is due on Canvas no later than 11:59pm on the date specified and at the start of class for hard copies. There are no exceptions. Without prior permission, work that is turned in after the deadline will NOT be graded and will receive zero points.**
Make sure your file is a properly named Word document (with your last name as part of the file name) and that it is formatted as required! All written work must be double- spaced, use 12 pt. Times-Roman font, and have page numbers and one-inch margins and your name on the paper. It must be organized in sections with headings and subheadings.
YOU NEED TO SUBMIT TWO (OF THE FOUR) FOR GRADING. (I will only grade two (2) from each person).
Please be thorough and specific in your answer to all parts of these questions. You should use relevant concepts from class and the textbook. However, you SHOULD NOT do external “research” for the assignments. You do not need to cite the textbook or PPT slides/lectures.
Assignment 1: Demographic Assignment
Pick two recent (within the last year) print magazines (online magazines, catalogs, fliers, brochures, or “special editions” are not acceptable) that are targeted toward consumers in two different groups in any one of the demographic categories listed below (see text chapter 4). For example, select a magazine that is targeted towards Baby Boomers and a magazine that is targeted towards young children (two different groups in the AGE category), or a magazine targeted towards males and a magazine targeted towards females (two different groups in the GENDER category). You may need to do some investigation to find two magazines that you can use!
- Income
- Age
- Occupation
- Gender
- Name the two magazines. What month, year was the issue? Describe which demographic category (a – d, above) and specific group within the category each magazine is targeting.
- **This question is the primary focus of the assignment**:
- Analyze and describe the differences and similarities in the products advertised across the two magazines, and
- (this is a different question) Analyze and describe the differences and similarities in the characteristics of the ads (how do they look, how are they selling, the visuals, language used, etc…) across the two magazines.
- The analyses and descriptions should be specific, thorough and detailed for both (a) and (b). Note: You will need to provide some “organization” or “structure” for these analyses – most magazines have many, many ads in them and you are not going to be able to analyze and describe every ad individually. Note – you are to focus on the entire advertising content of the two magazines – not on the editorial content of the magazines (i.e., the photos, columns, articles, editorials, etc.). Even if an article mentions specific products it is NOT an ad – these are two different things.
Assignment 2: Perception Assignment
According to some research, consumers are bombarded with thousands of commercial messages every single day. As a result, marketers are constantly battling to gain consumers’ attention. There are many different strategies/techniques that have been found to be attention getting. We discussed a number of these in class and some are discussed in the text.
Your job for this assignment is to note those marketing communications that successfully grabbed your attention. Specifically, you need to identify two advertisements, from two different ad categories (e.g., TV, radio, billboards, signs, in-store, magazines, newspapers, on- line (including social media), mobile), that grabbed your attention recently (within the last three months). These should be recent ads (within the last 3 months) you actually were exposed to as a consumer - NOT ones you “researched” on the Internet.
For each of the ads separately you should:
- Include the ad or describe it in detail (so I’ll be able to know specifically what it is. Providing a URL is not sufficient). Describe specifically where you saw the ad. 2. Describe any other ads (or other marketing communications) that were present in your selected ad’s immediate environment (and that were, therefore, competing for your attention).
- Describe any other ads (or other marketing communications) that were present in your selected ad’s immediate environment (and that were, therefore, competing for your attention).
For example, this could include the other ads in a TV commercial break, other ads in the magazine/newspaper, the presence of salespeople, other radio ads, etc.
You should be pretty specific with your descriptions – e.g., how many other ads, the types of messages in the ads, how effective these other ads were, etc…
- Describe any other stimuli (i.e., non-marketing – e.g., roommate talking to you, music playing, etc…) that were competing for your attention as well at that time.
- ** This question is the primary focus of the assignment:**
Using attention-related concepts from class and the text describe why you think this particular ad message was successful at grabbing your attention. In other words, what specific attention concepts can be used to explain why these ads caught your attention? (see class notes and text for examples of these – these include (a) characteristics of the stimulus [ad], (b) characteristics of the situation, and (c) characteristics of the individual [you]…).
** Remember – explain, describe, and justify all your answers.
Assignment 3: Brand Equity Leveraging Assignment
Go to a store that carries a wide variety of products (e.g., grocery store; Wal-Mart/Target; home improvement store, drug store, convenience store). Find two different examples of products that are using a brand leveraging strategy.
You may not use the following brands: Arm & Hammer; Clorox; Colgate; Coke; Bic; Aunt Jemima, Dove, Reese’s, Snickers, Starbucks, Gillette, Hellman’s, Hershey’s or any brands used as examples from the text or PPT lecture.
- For the product you selected: What is the brand? What is the product?
- What was the original product associated with this brand name?
- What specific type of brand leveraging strategy (we discussed four in class – check PPT) is being used? Explain specifically why it is this one.
- Discuss whether you think it is an effective brand leveraging strategy (NOTE: don't just describe if it is a product that you like or not or a “good” product). Explain/discuss why or why not – thoroughly justify/explain your answer using specific brand leveraging concepts from class e.g., fit, brand associations, brand schemas, stimulus generalization, etc.).
- Discuss whether there might be any negative effects associated with this specific use of the brand leveraging strategy for this product (again, answer specifically in terms of the specific brand leveraging strategy for this product you described in Q3). Explain/discuss why or why not.
Assignment 4: Information Search Assignment
Choose two of the following product categories (i.e., select two of the five below):
- Automobiles
- Energy drinks
- Fast food restaurants
- Auto insurance providers
- Snack foods
For each product category separately answer the following questions:
- Name the specific brands that are in your (a) awareness set, (b) consideration (evoked) set, (c) inert set, and (d) inept set. Additionally, for each of the four sets explain: why this many, why these ones specifically - As you do this, don’t just make a list of these brands - explain the make-up/composition of your four sets!
- Discuss in what ways you think each of your four sets (separately) will differ/be the same as other students’ in this class (i.e., compare/contrast the specific brands, number of brands, etc. in each of the four sets separately).
- Finally (for just one product category):
**Choose one of the brands in one of the product categories you listed above and discuss how this specific information set information could be relevant to that company’s specific marketing activities for the brand (i.e., how could the information about the four sets from part 1 and 2 be used by the marketer?)
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