MKF2111 · Buyer Behaviour
Introduction to Buyer Behaviour
Buyer Behaviour is the study of the processes by which individuals or groups select, purchase, use and dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences — and the psychological, social and cultural drivers behind those choices. Week 1 sets up the unit's master framework that every later week plugs into, and explains why studying it matters to marketers, consumers and policy makers. In the oral exam this is the spine you use to place any topic and to link across topics for the top band.
What this chapter covers
- 011. What buyer behaviour is: select → purchase → use → dispose of products, services, ideas and experiences
- 022. Why study it: better marketing strategy (marketers), better decisions (consumers), better protection (policy makers)
- 033. The master question — 'What affects consumer behaviour?' — and its four blocks
- 044. The Psychological Core: motivation/MAO, exposure-attention-perception, knowledge & schemas, memory, attitudes
- 055. The Process of Judgment & Decision Making: problem recognition, search, low- and high-effort choice, post-purchase
- 066. Consumer Culture: demographics, psychographics, social influence
- 077. CB Outcomes & Issues: innovation adoption/diffusion, consumer well-being and ethics
- 088. How the framework recurs every week and structures the oral exam
Oral-exam answer: place a real decision inside the master framework
- GOOD: framework statedDEFINE the framework. Buyer behaviour asks 'what affects this choice?' across four linked blocks: the Psychological Core (inside the head), the Judgment & Decision-Making process (how the choice is made), Consumer Culture (the social/cultural context), and CB Outcomes & Issues (adoption, well-being, ethics).
- GOOD: block 1 mappedAPPLY the Psychological Core. Seeing the cup three times is exposure and attention; worrying about heat is an attitude/belief about an attribute — both sit in the Psychological Core that shapes what the consumer perceives and believes.
- OUTSTANDING: links all four blocksAPPLY the decision process and culture. Comparing two brands is the Judgment & Decision-Making process (search and choice); buying because it is socially visible and sustainable reflects Consumer Culture (social influence and values). Adopting a reusable cup also touches CB Outcomes & Issues (well-being/environment).
Key terms
- Buyer (consumer) behaviour
- The study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and wants, plus the psychological, social and cultural drivers behind those decisions.
- The Psychological Core
- The 'inside the head' block of the master framework: motivation (MAO), exposure/attention/perception, knowledge and schemas, memory, and attitudes — everything that shapes what a consumer perceives, knows and feels before choosing.
- The Process of Judgment & Decision Making
- The 'how the choice is made' block: problem recognition and information search, low- and high-effort judgment and choice, and post-purchase evaluation.
- Consumer Culture
- The social and cultural context block: demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, social class, household), psychographics (values, lifestyle, personality) and social influence (reference groups, opinion leaders, word of mouth).
- CB Outcomes & Issues
- The downstream block: how innovations are adopted and diffuse through a market, and the well-being and ethics questions consumption raises (self-control, marketing to children, environment, privacy).
Introduction to Buyer Behaviour FAQ
What exactly does 'buyer behaviour' cover — just buying?
No. It covers the whole sequence: selecting, purchasing, using and disposing of products, services, ideas and experiences — and the psychological, social and cultural reasons behind each step. Disposal and use matter as much as the purchase, which is why sustainability and post-purchase satisfaction are part of the unit.
Why should marketers, consumers and policy makers all study it?
Marketers use it to design better strategy (the right appeal to the right segment); consumers use it to make better, less manipulated decisions; and policy makers use it for consumer protection (advertising rules, privacy, marketing to vulnerable groups). Naming all three audiences is a clean Week-1 oral answer.
Do I need to memorise the master framework for the oral?
Yes — learn it cold. It is the unit's spine and recurs in every week, so being able to say the four blocks and place any topic inside them is what lets you link across topics, which is exactly what the OUTSTANDING band rewards.
How is Week 1 examined?
As an orienting topic in the oral: you may be asked what buyer behaviour is, why it is studied, or to place a given example inside the master framework. The skill is explaining the framework in your own words and using it to organise a real example.
Exam move
Make the master framework your home base for the whole unit: draw the four blocks (Psychological Core → Judgment & Decision Making → Consumer Culture → CB Outcomes & Issues) and, as each later week is taught, slot that topic into the right block so you build one connected map rather than 12 disconnected lists. For the oral, rehearse a 30-second definition of buyer behaviour (select/purchase/use/dispose + the three audiences) and one example you can walk through all four blocks, because the examiner can open Week 1 with 'what is buyer behaviour and why study it?' Practise linking — being able to say 'this perception (Psychological Core) feeds this choice (Decision Process)' is the move that lifts an answer from PASS to GOOD/OUTSTANDING.
