Consumer Behavior

Consumer behavior is the study and analysis of individuals, groups, and/or organizations focusing on the activities associated with the use, purchase, and disposal of products and services, including the consumer’s emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral responses that precede or follow these activities. It emerged in the 1940s and the 1950s as a distinct subdiscipline in marketing and economic studies. Consumer behavior examines how emotions, attitudes, and preferences affect consumption, time allocation, and ultimate buying behavior. The profiling of individual consumers and/or[Page 379] households with variables such as age, gender, income, usage rates, time allocation, preferences, loyalty, and brand advocacy, among others, is implemented in an attempt to understand people’s preferences and consumption patterns and ultimately use these data to create market and consumer reports.

In the 21st ...