Consumer Behaviour - MAN00029C

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  • Department: The York Management School
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2025-26

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2025-26

Module aims

This module aims for the students to develop an understanding of:

  • Consumer behaviour and its role in marketing and management

  • Basic and interdisciplinary principles that shape consumer behaviour

  • Psychological science, including areas of social and cognitive psychology relevant to marketing

  • Consumer research methods.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

  • Consumer decision making and judgment

  • Interdisciplinary approaches to consumer behaviour

  • Psychological principles (for example cognitive, social, behavioural, environmental) and consumer bias

  • Managerial applications of interdisciplinary principles

Academic and graduate skills

  • Ability to identify and evaluate systematic influences on consumer behaviour

  • Ability to apply principles of consumer behaviour strategically in marketing contexts

  • Ability to design and critically evaluate consumer choice architecture

  • Ability to interpret research on consumer behaviour

  • Ability to conduct research on consumer behaviour

Module content

Indicative lecture topics:

  • Perception

  • Choice architecture

  • Hedonic judgement

  • Emotions

  • Temptation and self-control

  • Social cognition and social influence

  • Cultural differences (and similarities) – social and cultural aspects of consumption

  • Pricing tactics

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 80
Essay/coursework 20

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 80
Essay/coursework 20

Module feedback

Group work:

Students will receive written feedback on each of the three submissions. Feedback will be timed as follows: feedback for the first group work will be provided prior to the deadline of the second submission; feedback for the second will be provided prior the deadline of the third submission; and feedback for the third will be provided prior to the deadline of the individual essay. Feedback will address (1) quality of argument, (2) quality of exposition, and (3) application/analysis of key concepts.

Individual essay:

Students will receive written feedback on the individual essay. Feedback will address (1) quality of argument, (2) quality of exposition, and (3) application/analysis of key concepts.

The module will provide feedback within School-mandated timeframes.

Indicative reading

Useful textbooks

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking Fast and Slow. London: Penguin Group.

Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2009). Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness. London: Penguin.

Solomon, M. R. (2015). Consumer Behaviour. Global Edition 11th edition. London: Pearson.

Useful Journals

Journal of Consumer Psychology

Journal of Consumer Research

Journal of Marketing

Journal of Marketing Research

Harvard Business Review

California Management Review

MIT Sloan Management Review