CQUniversity Unit Profile
MRKT20055 Science of Consumer Behaviour
Science of Consumer Behaviour
All details in this unit profile for MRKT20055 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Consumption is a universal phenomenon of human society, and understanding consumer behaviour is fundamentally critical to marketers and policymakers. This unit explores the science of consumer behaviour, an interdisciplinary field that integrates knowledge and discovery from marketing, psychology, anthropology, sociology, demography, and economics. In this unit you will examine models and frameworks of consumer decision making, as well as the impacts of internal and external factors on thoughts, feelings, and actions of consumers. Furthermore, you will learn to implement consumer behaviour principles to facilitate the development of successful marketing campaigns.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisite: MRKT20052.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2023

Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
2. Presentation
Weighting: 30%
3. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student feedback.

Feedback

The weekly email communication from the unit coordinator and the learning resources prepared for the unit were appreciated.

Recommendation

The teaching staff in the future offerings of this unit will continue to provide students with interesting and practical learning resources, and continue to engage students through relevant and helpful weekly email communication.

Feedback from Staff self-reflection.

Feedback

Consumer behaviour in the digital contexts has emerged as a valuable area that would benefit students' growth and development, and enhance their future employability.

Recommendation

The teaching staff in the future offerings of this unit will embed to the learning and teaching materials for this unit useful examples, cases, or other resources related to consumer behaviour in the digital contexts.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Assess critical situational influences that shape consumer behaviour
  2. Examine decision-process influences associated with consumer behaviour
  3. Analyse the influences of internal and external factors on consumer behaviour
  4. Use consumer behaviour principles to solve marketing problems
  5. Identify new trends in consumer behaviour theories and applications.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Presentation - 30%
3 - Written Assessment - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Presentation - 30%
3 - Written Assessment - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, Being

Edition: 4th edn (2019)
Authors: Solomon, M, Russell-Bennett, R & Previte, J
Pearson Australia
Melbourne Melbourne , VIC , Australia
ISBN: 9781488616952
Binding: Paperback

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Microsoft Office
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
En Li Unit Coordinator
e.li@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 06 Mar 2023

Module/Topic

Buying, having and being; 

Consumer and social well-being

Chapter

1;

2

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 13 Mar 2023

Module/Topic

Perception

Chapter

3

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 20 Mar 2023

Module/Topic

Learning and memory

Chapter

4

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 27 Mar 2023

Module/Topic

Personality

Chapter

5

Events and Submissions/Topic

Individual Written Assessment 1 Due: Week 4 Friday (31 Mar 2023) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 5 Begin Date: 03 Apr 2023

Module/Topic

Motivation and values

Chapter

6

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 10 Apr 2023

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 17 Apr 2023

Module/Topic

The self: mind, gender and body

Chapter

7

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 24 Apr 2023

Module/Topic

Attitudes and attitude change

Chapter

8

Events and Submissions/Topic

Individual Presentation Due: Week 7 Friday (28 Apr 2023) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 8 Begin Date: 01 May 2023

Module/Topic

Individual decision making

Chapter

9

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 08 May 2023

Module/Topic

Buying, using and disposing

Chapter

10

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 15 May 2023

Module/Topic

Groups and social influence

Chapter

11

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 22 May 2023

Module/Topic

Ethnicity, religion and age

Chapter

12

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 29 May 2023

Module/Topic

Lifestyle, income and social class

Chapter

13

Events and Submissions/Topic

Individual Written Assessment 2 Due: Week 12 Friday (2 June 2023) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 05 Jun 2023

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 12 Jun 2023

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Individual Written Assessment 1

Task Description

Please answer the following question:

  • Question: Please identify one organisation whose website does not utilise suitable colours in its design. Please discuss why the currently utilised colours are not suitable.

Important advice:

  • This is an individual written assessment. Please ensure that this assignment is your own work and the answer is based on your own words.
  • This assessment has a word limit of 200-400.
  • Your argument and analysis in this assessment requires theoretical support from a minimum of 2 journal article references.


Assessment Due Date

Week 4 Friday (31 Mar 2023) 5:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 6 Friday (21 Apr 2023)


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

  • Writing style and referencing - 5 marks
  • Argument and analysis in answering the question - 15 marks
  • Total - 20 marks


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research


Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Assess critical situational influences that shape consumer behaviour

2 Presentation

Assessment Title
Individual Presentation

Task Description

In this individual assessment, you will demonstrate your ability to bring the insights of high quality consumer behaviour research into practice.
First, please browse the following two research articles recently published in “Journal of Consumer Research”, the best consumer behaviour journal in the world.
  • Biliciler, G., Raghunathan, R., & Ward, A. F. (2022). Consumers as naive physicists: How visual entropy cues shift temporal focus and influence product evaluations. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(6), 1010-1031.
  • Ostinelli, M., & Luna, D. (2022). Syntax and the illusion of fit: How grammatical subject influences persuasion. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(5), 885-903.
Your task is to choose one article from these two articles, present the empirical studies and findings of your chosen article, and apply these findings to an organisation of your choice. That is, you will find a real-world organisation, introduce the marketing or consumer behaviour issues this organisation is facing in 2023, and design corresponding recommendations to address the issues, based on the findings of your chosen article.
This presentation should be made between 3-6 minutes and through 6 PowerPoint slides. The slides should follow the subsequent structure:
  • Student information and presentation title;
  • The research article: empirical studies;
  • The research article: findings;
  • The organisation: issues;
  • The organisation: recommendations;
  • Reference list.
In the "Tap to add notes" section of each slide, please provide the corresponding script for that slide. Hence, in that section, you will need to write out or at least outline what you intend to say in your presentation for that slide.
Please pay attention to the following details on the presentation and submission method:
  • Each student will record her/his presentation through PowerPoint's “Record Slide Show” function, and submit her/his PowerPoint file (with recording) on Moodle by the due time of 5pm AEST Friday Week 7.


Assessment Due Date

Week 7 Friday (28 Apr 2023) 5:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 9 Friday (12 May 2023)


Weighting
30%

Assessment Criteria

  • PowerPoint design, referencing, and presentation clarity - 10 marks
  • The research article: empirical studies and findings - 10 marks
  • The organisation: issues and recommendations - 10 marks
  • Total - 30 marks


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research


Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Examine decision-process influences associated with consumer behaviour
  • Use consumer behaviour principles to solve marketing problems

3 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Individual Written Assessment 2

Task Description

Choosing a meal can be a consumption decision subject to many competing influences. This assessment requires you to look at the meal choices of 2 people, and provide your analysis on those factors leading to their decisions.

Firstly, please download the 3 survey questionnaires completed by 3 different respondents (these questionnaires will be posted on Moodle from Week 7). After reading through these questionnaires, please pick 2 questionnaires/respondents (you can pick any 2 you like) as the target for your analysis. You will notice that these questionnaires are mainly about making decisions among 4 different meal options.

Secondly, please use the theoretical areas below to analyse the behaviour of your chosen respondents. Please explain the differences between their rankings of evaluative criteria and their choices of meals, using theories from:
  • Personality
  • Demographics (age, gender, family situation, income, ethnicity etc)

Lastly, please provide recommendations to the marketer of ONE of the meal options featured in the survey questionnaires – what are the characteristics of her/his likeliest customers and how might she/he best attract them by applying the theories of learning and memory?

This assessment has a word limit between 800-1600 and should be written as a formal business report. Your argument and analysis in this assessment requires theoretical support from a minimum of 10 journal article references.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (2 June 2023) 5:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

As this unit has no exam, the formal results for this last piece of assessment can only be released to students on the Certification of Grades date (7 Jul 2023).


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

  • Writing style and referencing - 10 marks
  • Analyse the behaviour of chosen respondents using the theories of personality - 15 marks
  • Analyse the behaviour of chosen respondents using the theories of demographics - 15 marks
  • Recommendations - 10 marks
  • Total - 50 marks


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research


Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Examine decision-process influences associated with consumer behaviour
  • Analyse the influences of internal and external factors on consumer behaviour
  • Use consumer behaviour principles to solve marketing problems
  • Identify new trends in consumer behaviour theories and applications.

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?