Chapter 6 – Consumer Behavior Marketing 6th
Marketers hope that after their purchase, consumers are satisfied and pleased with their purchase, which
can lead to customer loyalty, a positive postpurchase outcome. However, consumers also may suffer
postpurchase dissonance, or buyer’s remorse.
LO 6-5 List the factors that affect the consumer decision process.
The elements of the marketing mix (product, place, promotion, and price) have significant effects, of
course. In addition, social factors, such as family and culture, influence not only what a consumer buys
but also how a consumer goes about making a purchase decision. The psychological factors that
influence purchase decisions include motives, attitudes, perceptions, learning, and lifestyle. Finally, the
specific factors that mark the purchase situation, like the store setting or even the time of day, can alter
people’s decision process.
LO 6-6 Describe how involvement influences the consumer decision process.
More involved consumers, who are more interested or invested in the product or service they are
considering, tend to engage in extended problem solving. They gather lots of information, scrutinize it
carefully, and then make their decisions with caution, to minimize any risk they may confront. In contrast,
less involved consumers often engage in limited problem solving, undertake impulse purchases, or rely
on habit to make their purchase decisions.
Extended Chapter Outline with Teaching Tips
I. The Consumer Decision Process
A. Need Recognition
1. Functional Needs
2. Psychological Needs
B. Search for Information
1 Internal Search for Information
3. External Search for Information
4. Factors Affecting Consumers’ Search Processes
a. The Perceived Benefits versus Perceived Costs of Search
b. The Locus of Control
c. Actual or Perceived Risk
C. Evaluation of Alternatives
1 Attribute Sets
5. Consumer Decision Rules
a Compensatory
d. Noncompensatory
D. Purchase and Consumption
E. Postpurchase
1 Customer Satisfaction
6. Postpurchase Cognitive Dissonance
7. Customer Loyalty
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