PERSPECTIVES ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR (ONLINE) - 2025/6

Module Overview

Consumer Behaviour is evident in everyday life, therefore knowledge and understanding of this subject can be beneficial to personal decision-making as well as to marketing and strategy formulation, both in offline and online environments. The module Perspectives on Consumer Behaviour deals with a range of theoretical, practical techniques in understanding and researching consumer consumption behaviour and how such an understanding can be used to create successful and viable marketing strategies. This module gives students the opportunity to explore theories and leading-edge research findings and apply knowledge by conducting small group discussion and/or activities. Thus, reflective, and critical applications of relevant behavioural, cognitive, and socio-cultural approaches to consumption are discussed.

Module provider

SOL - Surrey Business School

Module Leader

ANNINOU Ioanna (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

• Introduction to consumer behaviour.


• Psychological and personal factors influencing consumer behaviour.


• Sociological factors and consumer behaviour.


• Individual learning and decision-making in the context of consumer behaviour.


• Global and cultural elements of consumer behaviour.


• Consumer behaviour in the digital era (e.g. neuro-marketing, AI and consumer behaviour).


• Ethical and sustainable consumer behaviour.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of consumer behaviour theories, and to critically apply these to investigate consumer behaviour phenomena. 
Successfully completing the individual coursework requires persistence to engage in a reflective and analytical process that is needed for generating, applying and evaluating consumer behaviour perspectives. The assessment involves practical problem-solving and analytical skills through which students are invited to solve and/or analyze marketing challenges and connect consumer behaviour theory with practice. The assessment strategy focuses on evaluating students’ critical understanding of consumer behaviour topics and applications, and also provides an opportunity to work with, and to learn from, peers. The assessment tests the outlined learning outcomes.
The summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Individual Coursework (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5) - 100%

Formative assessment & feedback
Students will receive the coursework topic in the first weeks of the module and are expected to familiarise themselves with it. Prior to the assignment submission, some time will be spent discussing the assignment requirements, the assessment criteria, and the feedback process. Seminar time will be devoted to preparing students for the assessment. This will empower students to create their self-evaluation and strengthen their understanding of the assessment process.

Module aims

• Develop an interdisciplinary and theoretically informed understanding of consumer behaviour.
• Examine the managerial significance of consumer behaviour theory.
• Enable students to illustrate multifaceted aspects of consumer behaviour in examining marketing problems/challenges.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to gain deep knowledge of key consumer behaviour concepts and theories, and their application to marketing situations and strategies. The teaching and learning methods will enable students to demonstrate the application of theory, their professionalism, confidence and communication skills. It is designed to provide structured formal learning through the online environment. By actively engaging in the full range of guided learning activities students will explore the fundamental concepts, tools and theories of the module to create new knowledge and build on existing experience. The live learning sessions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn through the application of skills, discussion and peer learning. Students are invited to contribute to discussions from their own background and experiences and are encouraged to be actively involved in problem solving, thus developing their own judgments, opinions and critical thinking. Students are expected to utilise independent learning to deepen their knowledge and skills in core areas of interest.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM585

Other information

Employability: This module provides students with a working knowledge of practices and approaches used by marketers in practice and in research. Students are equipped with theoretical and practical problem-solving skills, and transferable competencies that allow them to analyse and explain marketing cases from a consumer behaviour perspective. This is of value to employers as it contributes to understand complex marketing situations and make informed decisions. 
Resourcefulness and Resilience: As a cohort, students will be sharing consumer behaviour experiences, providing support and empathy, and supporting each other practically. Through these processes students can draw upon and develop their own resourcefulness and problem solving and building their own confidence and self-efficacy.
Digital Capabilities: Students will develop the capacity to manage information as well as to communicate with one another and to work collaboratively using a range of platforms. As with all modules, students are expected to engage with online material and resources and other digital platforms. Moreover, material dedicated to recent developments of Consumer Behaviour (digital) also contributes toward an understanding of how the digital world influences this marketing field and how this knowledge can inform the formulation of marketing strategies.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.