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MKT46130

Academic Year 2026/2027

Consumer Behavior (MKT46130)

Subject:
Marketing
College:
Business
School:
Business
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
7.5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Suhas Vijayakumar
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to certain important concepts of consumer behavior and decision making. This course is particularly designed for students of the various MSc Marketing Area Programs- with a focus on equipping them with necessary knowledge, and to encouraging them to engage in critical thinking and strategic application of behavioral sciences.

In this course, we will visit various core concepts, theories, and constructs related to consumer behavior, which shape contemporary practices in the marketplace. By understanding various nuances of consumers’ decision making, and, the rationale behind what may at times seem to be counterintuitive behavioral tendencies and responses, students will be positioned to better anticipate and react to various influences on consumers’ decision making. In addition to learning from theory, we will also engage in exercises and activities designed to help the students internalize and critically apply knowledge of consumer behavior to solve actual and/or hypothetical problems.

[Note: A detailed and updated Module Outline will be shared with the enrolled students upon commencement of the module]

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand certain fundamental theories of consumers’ behavior and decision making.
• Understand concepts of Attitudes and Persuasion.
• Understand and leverage tenets of Prospect Theory and Mental Accounting.
• Understand certain interactions between the society and consumers’ conceptualizations of themselves, in influencing consumers’ actions and choices.
• Develop the ability to leverage knowledge of consumer behavior to anticipate and take action to solve problems in today’s marketplace.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Proficient

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Expert

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Proficient

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Proficient

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Proficient

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Expert

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Proficient

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Expert

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Proficient

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Proficient

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

100
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Total

224

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module consists of weekly sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays (depending upon the cohort) spanning 2 hours. Each session will be a mixture of instructor-led delivery, as well as student involved class participation. Take home exercises and tasks may also be assigned to students after the lecture sessions as a part of continuous ongoing learning activities. Students will also work in assigned groups throughout the course of the term towards completing their group project. The module expects students to learn primarily through the lectures and class activities, aided supplementarily through self-study driven by their personal interests.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): Final Exam at the end of the trimester. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No
Group Work Assignment: Final Group Project
Details will be elaborated in the module outline.		 Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Class Participation (Continuous Assessment II)
Details will be elaborated in the module outline.		 Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
10
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Each session will have an assigned list of readings. The list consists of textbook chapters, web articles, as well as research articles that have appeared in psych, econ and marketing journals. A detailed session-wise reading list will be shared at a later date upon commencement of the module.
[Note: Most of the research articles can be searched for and accessed through the UCD library.]

Other than the curated articles in the reading list, the instructor would suggest the following as an accompanying book. We may refer to a few chapters from time to time; the book may be useful for students without a prior Marketing or Consumer Behavior background to pick up on some basics, and, the book may also be helpful for the group project for some students.

Book: ‘Consumer Behavior’ (Seventh Edition) by Hoyer, Macinnis and Pieters; Cengage Learning’.
[You can also refer to a more recent 8th edition too]
[Note: The UCD Blackrock library has a few copies of this book.]

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 10:00 - 11:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 2 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Tues 09:00 - 10:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 3 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Tues 12:00 - 13:50
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