This thesis investigates consumer brand choice from the perspective of the methods used by behaviour analysts and behavioural economists in order to evaluate the relevance of these methods to research in marketing. Most purchasers of fast-moving consumer goods generally exhibit multi-brand choice, selecting apparently randomly among a small subset of tried and trusted brands. In order to explore more deeply the general mechanisms underlying this wide-ranging pattern, three methods from behavioural economics are applied in this thesis. The first, matching analysis, predicts choices on concurrent variable ratio schedules will show maximisation via exclusive choice of the richest schedule, i. e., the cheapest brand available. The second, relative demand analysis, predicts sensitivity of the quantity demanded, as denoted by downward-sloping curves. The third, maximisation analysis, predicts utility maximisation by exclusive choice of the cheapest available option. The results of a study of 80 consumers' brand selections for nine product categories over 16 weeks are presented. It is shown that, as predicted by matching theory and maximisation theory, consumer behaviour exhibits both matching and maximisation. The results suggest that consumers maximise a combination of functional benefits, due to the physical formulation of the product category, and symbolic benefits, due to branding. The implications of the findings for research in the behavioural economics of consumption in marketing-oriented economies and for the issue of what and how consumers maximise are discussed. The study concludes, therefore, that the incorporation of behaviour analytic theories and methods can contribute to the elucidation of consumer behaviour in ways relevant to marketing theory and management.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:431740 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Schrezenmaier, Teresa Caroline |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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