Students with a consumer behavior degree can learn why certain products and services are purchased by specific segments of society. Consumer behavior is usually studied as part of a marketing, psychology, or economics degree program. Consumer behavior programs at the undergraduate level may be a concentration within a business administration degree, whereas graduate-level degrees may focus solely on the consumer decision-making process.
Consumer behavior degrees are typically pursued by business students who want to work in marketing research. A degree in consumer behavior may provide a broader perspective on the function of marketing at some universities. Degree programs may only require an introductory course on how to track, evaluate, and use consumer behavior to introduce new products. Students may pursue courses in advertising, direct marketing, and business-to-business selling that incorporate buying behavior concepts.
Students may take marketing research courses as part of a degree program that focuses on business applications of consumer behavior. These courses cover the various data collection and analysis methods used by researchers, such as Likert scales and focus groups. Students learn how to incorporate regression analysis and interpretation into marketing research because it relies on statistical knowledge and manipulation. Regression analysis is a statistical technique that looks for differences in plausible outcomes when certain variables are changed.
Another type of consumer behavior degree is a consumer psychology program. Rather than introducing students to various business functions and applications, psychology programs focus on the mental processes that underpin decision-making. Psychology programs examine the various societal, individual, and economic forces that influence consumer decision-making. These degrees are usually only available at the graduate level.
Economic degrees also look at the role of demographics in purchasing decisions. Consumer behavior degrees are sometimes referred to as “consumer economics.” Apart from individual choices, economic degrees look at group behavior and the sociological forces that influence it. Students in these classes may learn, for example, why many consumers may purchase substitute products when prices rise dramatically.
Consumer behavior degrees and courses, regardless of their exact titles, attempt to explain why one group of consumers will choose Product A over Product B. Marketers appeal to the values of different target markets by using certain associations, images, slogans, and advertising messages. Without market research or consumer psychology, none of this would be possible. Data mining techniques can also be studied as part of consumer behavior degree programs, allowing researchers to discover links between demographic factors and purchase behavior.