Consumer Psychology Research Articles

Consumer Psychology of Mysterious Consumption: Embracing Uncertainty through a Perception of Control.

Mysterious consumption, characterized by product purchases without knowledge of their exact nature, is gaining popularity in the modern marketplace. In two online experiments, we examined how consumers' psychological states, particularly their sense of personal control, influence their perception and intent to purchase mysterious products in the context of purchasing a random flight ticket. Study 1 demonstrated that when consumers experience low personal control, as opposed to high personal control, they are less likely to value the uncertainty inherent in random flight tickets, resulting in decreased purchase intentions. Study 2 revealed that introducing even limited choice options to random flight tickets can enhance consumers' appreciation of uncertainty, thereby increasing their purchase intention. This effect was especially notable among those initially hesitant to embrace uncertainty, ultimately boosting their intent to purchase. These findings deepen our understanding of consumer psychology surrounding mystery consumption and provide practical insights for marketers seeking to tailor their products and marketing appeals to consumers' psychological states.

Post-Pandemic Consumer Behavior Analysis: A Case Study of Product Purchases in India with Amazon Data

This study explores the fascinating topic of consumer behavior in India's post-pandemic environment, paying particular attention to the trends and variables affecting product purchasing. Consumer interests and preferences have undergone substantial alteration as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses looking to adapt and flourish in the changing industry must comprehend how these shifts show up in consumer decisions. The research uses a thorough methodology to examine the nuances of customer behavior by fusing quantitative and qualitative techniques. In order to better understand post-pandemic consumer decisions, the research looks at psychological and socioeconomic aspects such as brand loyalty, safety concerns, and shifting economic conditions. Recognizing customer behavior is crucial for firms looking to customize their goods to address new requirements as India struggles with the pandemic's repercussions. In addition to adding to the body of knowledge on consumer behavior in academia, the research's conclusions can help firms in India navigate the challenging post-pandemic market environment. This study aims to clarify the complex relationship between market dynamics and consumer psychology, providing insight into the changing trends that define the Indian consumer environment in the post-pandemic age. Using data from Amazon, this study examines post-pandemic consumer behavior in India with an emphasis on goods purchases. Businesses and politicians need to understand how consumer behavior has changed as the globe recovers from the COVID-19 epidemic. Using information from Amazon, one of the top online retailers in India, this study looks into trends in product purchases, changes in customer preferences, and how the epidemic has affected consumers' purchasing habits. Through an analysis of patterns and insights obtained from Amazon data, this study offers significant insights into the evolving consumer behavior environment in post-pandemic India, assisting businesses and governments in making strategic decisions.

Understanding Psychological Dynamics in Consumer Decision-Making Processes in the Digital Marketing Era: A Review

The digital era has fundamentally transformed marketing paradigms. This shift underscores the need to understand how consumer psychology interacts within the digital environment. This research aims to provide deeper insights into how consumer psychology plays a role in decision-making processes in the digital marketing era, along with its implications for marketing practices. The research methodology employed is a literature review using qualitative approaches and descriptive analysis. Data for the literature review were gathered from Google Scholar for the period 2015-2024. The study findings indicate that in the continually evolving digital marketing era, a profound understanding of consumer psychological dynamics is crucial for business success. Factors such as perception, attitude, motivation, and emotion play key roles in consumer decision-making processes. Marketers need to pay attention to how digital content and interactions influence consumer preferences and behaviors. Additionally, external factors such as social and cultural contexts also shape consumer psychological dynamics.

The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: Examining the Social Influence of Online Reviews, Group Similarity, and Self-Construal

Consumers often rely on evaluations such as online reviews shared by other consumers when making purchasing decisions. Online reviews have emerged as a crucial marketing tool that offers a distinct advantage over traditional methods by fostering trust among consumers. Previous studies have identified group similarity between consumers and reviewers as a key variable with a potential impact on consumer responses and purchase intention. However, the results remain inconclusive. In this study, we identify self-construal and group similarity as key factors in the influence of online review ratings on consumers’ purchase intentions. We further investigate the role of consumers’ self-construal in shaping consumers’ perceptions of online reviews in terms of belongingness and diagnosticity. To test the hypothesis, we conducted a 2 (online review rating) × 2 (group similarity) × 2 (self-construal) ANOVA on 276 subjects collected through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and contrast analysis and PROCESS macro model 12 were used for the interaction effect analysis and moderated mediation analysis. Our findings reveal that consumers with an interdependent self-construal are sensitive to both review ratings and group similarity with regards to their purchase intentions. They demonstrate a positive purchase intention when both group similarity and online review ratings are high. However, their purchase intention is not influenced by review ratings when group similarity is low. Conversely, consumers with an independent self-construal exhibit a more positive purchase intention when the online review rating is high, irrespective of group similarity. Additionally, our study highlights the mediating roles of perceived diagnosticity and belongingness in the relationship between online review ratings, group similarity, self-construal, and purchase intentions. Results show significant indirect effects for perceived diagnosticity and belongingness, meaning that the impact of online review ratings on purchase intention is mediated by these two variables. The outcomes of our research offer theoretical and practical implications concerning online reviews and suggest new avenues for future research in the area of online consumer behavior.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS COMPETITIVENESS

The study is aimed at identifying the psychological factors of competitiveness of a business organization and determining the directions of organizational activities for their actualization. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in today’s increasingly competitive environment, an organization should strive to make the most of all available resources and factors that can contribute to its competitiveness among other market players. On the basis of theoretical analysis, the authors develop a model of internal (organizational) and external psychological factors of competitiveness of a market-type organization. The internal psychological factors comprise three relatively independent subsystems: the managerial subsystem (goal setting, decision making, labor incentives, change management), the subsystem of professionally important qualities and the subsystem of organizational interaction (socio-psychological climate and corporate culture). The external psychological factors are divided into two subsystems: the client subsystem based on the consumer psychology and the subsystem of institutional interaction with other organizations. The areas of organizational activities aimed at actualizing internal psychological factors of competitiveness include psychological and managerial counseling; designing processes with due regard for psychological factors; psychological examination of various components of organizational activities: management decisions, key processes; personnel selection and training; formation of a socio-psychological climate and development of corporate culture. In order to gain an external competitive advantage, such organizational practices as consumer research, brand development, market positioning, company image formation, and psychological support of the negotiation process will be appropriate. The results of the study can be used by top managers of organizations in the formation of strategies to improve the competitiveness of the company, psychology specialists to determine the directions of psychological support of organizational processes. Key words: business organization, competitiveness, psychological factors, management system, professionally important qualities, organizational interactions, interaction with consumers.

IMPACT OF PACKAGING DESIGN ON CONSUMER PURCHASING DECISIONS

There are a lot of items out there competing for consumers' attention, so having attractive packaging is becoming more important. This master's thesis delves at the complex world of packaging design and how it influences customer behavior. This study delves into relevant literature, survey data, and real-world examples to uncover the complex relationship between packaging's visual appeal, usefulness, and consumer psychology. The structural (size, form, and material choice) and visual (color, typography, and graphics) components of packaging design are both studied in detail. It takes a look at how various demographics and product types are affected by consumer perceptions, preferences, and intents to buy. Moreover, the study explores how packaging conveys brand values, identity, and product qualities, influencing customer impression and loyalty to the brand. Keyword : Packaging design, consumer behavior, aesthetics, functionality, consumer psychology, visual elements, color, typography, imagery,

IMPACT OF PACKAGING DESIGN ON CONSUMER PURCHASING DECISIONS

Packaging design is becoming more important in today's competitive marketplace as items compete for consumers' attention in a sea of choices. The complex world of package design and its influence on customer behavior is the subject of this master's thesis. The purpose of this study is to decipher the complex relationship between the visual appeal, practicality, and consumer psychology of packaging by drawing on a review of relevant literature, survey data, and real-world examples. Aspects of visual design, including color, typography, and images, as well as structural components, including size, form, and material choice, are investigated in the research on packaging. It takes a look at how these factors affect various product categories and customer demographics in terms of perceptions, preferences, and intents to buy. In addition, the study explores how packaging conveys brand values, identity, and product qualities, which in turn affects consumer perception and loyalty to the brand. Keyword : Packaging design, consumer behavior, aesthetics, functionality, consumer psychology, visual elements, color, typography, imagery,

Virtual versus human: Unraveling consumer reactions to service failures through influencer types

In an era where both human and virtual influencers play pivotal roles in shaping consumer behavior, understanding their influence on consumers' reactions to service failures has become an essential scholarly pursuit. This research stands at the forefront of this burgeoning field, dissecting the unique impact of human versus virtual influencers on consumer attitudes toward service failures, including forgiveness propensity, behavioral responses, and punishment intention. Through a series of experimental studies, the research uncovers a nuanced preference for virtual influencers, who elicit higher levels of forgiveness, more positive behavioral responses, and lower punitive intentions during service failures. These findings are mediated by mind perception and responsibility attribution, and are moderated by familiarity, thereby unveiling a complex interplay of psychological processes. The study's contributions transcend mere observations, offering a theoretical framework with empirical testing that integrates consumer psychology with the emergent phenomenon of virtual influencers. The insights gleaned from this research not only enhance academic understanding of the dynamics between influencer types and consumer reactions but also provide actionable strategies for marketers. By bridging theory and practice, this study carves a new path in influencer marketing research, particularly illuminating how to leverage influencer types to mitigate negative consumer reactions due to service failures.

Insights into Online Shopper Behaviour: Unravelling Customer Psychology in E-Commerce

Online consumer behaviour is the process of how consumers make decisions to purchase products in ecommerce. This study doesn’t control the differences across product categories. This study examines the psychological process used in predicting customer behaviours. Study of customer behaviour in online shopping usually deals with identification of customers and their buying behaviour patterns. The aim of such studies is to make certain who buys where, what, when and how. The results of these studies are useful in the solution of marketing problems. This research paper deals with the satisfaction of customers using online shopping.

Negative Emotions Will Be Welcomed: The Effect of Upward Comparison on Counterhedonic Consumption.

Upward comparisons are prevalent in life and have a significant influence on consumer psychology and subsequent behavior. Previous research examined the effects of upward comparisons on consumption behavior, mainly focusing on behavior that evokes positive emotions (e.g., donation behavior, sustainable consumption) or behavior that evokes negative emotions (e.g., impulsive consumption, compulsive consumption) and less on behavior that evokes both negative emotions and positive emotions (i.e., counterhedonic consumption). This research examined the effect of upward comparisons on counterhedonic consumption. Five studies (N = 1111) demonstrated that upward comparison (vs. non-upward comparison) leads to counterhedonic consumption, and this effect is mediated by relative deprivation (Studies 2 and 3). In addition, this research showed that the comparison targets moderate the effects of upward comparisons on counterhedonic consumption. Specifically, when the comparison target is a friend, an upward comparison (vs. non-upward comparison) leads to counterhedonic consumption. When the comparison target is a stranger, an upward comparison (vs. non-upward comparison) has no significant influence on counterhedonic consumption (Study 5). Our findings extend the research on upward comparisons, relative deprivation, and counterhedonic consumption.

Analysis and Enlightenment of Blind Box Culture "Go Viral"

In recent years, "Blind Box Consumption" has set off waves in China. Blind box products quickly occupy the vast market and become a hot topic of public discussion. Behind the blind box trend of the blind box is the localized development of Japanese tide play in China, from which we can get a glimpse of China's popular consumption model and consumer mentality. The paper mainly analyzes the cultural characteristics and current situation of blind boxes from the following three aspects: The reason for the "explosion" of blind boxes in China; Consumer psychology and behavior analysis and the potential harm of blind box consumption. It is found that the blind box, as a new consumption model, brings short and varied emotional experiences to consumers. At the same time, the uncertainty of blind box products increases the repurchase rate of customers, allowing consumers to form emotional dependence during the purchase process, thus achieving the effect of "addiction", resulting in addictive spending beyond the consumption budget. Therefore, the development of the blind box industry urgently needs the government departments to refine and improve the industry laws and regulations, and the regulatory authorities need to supervise the merchants and establish a perfect after-sales service mechanism. Consumers should also be accomplished with open eyes, understand the publicity mode and potential harm behind the blind box, and establish a scientific and rational consumption concept.

Predicting E-commerce customer satisfaction: Traditional machine learning vs. deep learning approaches

The rapid growth of e-commerce has increased the need for retailers to understand and predict customer satisfaction to support data-driven managerial decisions. This study analyzes online consumer behavior through a comparative machine learning modeling approach to forecast future customer satisfaction based on review ratings. Using a large dataset of over 100 k online orders from a major retailer, traditional machine learning models including random forest and support vector machines are benchmarked against deep learning techniques like multi-layer perceptrons. The predictive models are assessed for their ability to accurately predict customer satisfaction scores for the next orders based on key e-commerce features including delivery time, order value, and location. The findings demonstrate that the random forest model can predict future satisfaction with 92% accuracy, outperforming deep learning. The analysis further identifies core drivers of satisfaction such as delivery time and order accuracy. These insights enable retail managers to make targeted improvements, like optimizing logistics, to increase customer loyalty and revenue. This study provides a framework for leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning to unlock data-driven insights into online consumer behavior and satisfaction for superior retail decision-making. The focus on generalizable insights across a major retailer enhances the practical applicability of the machine learning approach for the retail sector.

Benefits of Give Circle: Exploring the impact of collaborative redistribution platforms on user willingness to donate to charity and tendency towards consumer minimalism

This study investigated the motivations of Taiwanese consumers who choose to redistribute their possessions via Give Circle, a free collaborative redistribution platform. We aimed to understand why users prefer using a free platform to donate and solicit items over traditional second-hand exchange platforms. Additionally, we sought to identify the behavioral changes that occur from using this platform within the context of the sharing economy. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, starting with semi-structured interviews with frequent users of the platform to identify independent and dependent variables for the formal research framework. Based on this evidence, we selected the extended UTAUT2 model and gamification affordance theory to explore the factors of continued use intentions. We applied structural equation modeling to 691 valid questionnaires. Predictors of continued use intentions included performance expectations, convenience, time and effort investment, and autonomy and self-expression. Continued use intention positively influenced charitable donation behavior and consumers' minimalist tendencies. These findings represent a novel contribution to the literature on the sharing economy, filling gaps in research on non-monetary collaborative redistribution platforms, extending the application of the UTAUT2 model, and deepening our understanding of consumer psychology and behavioral patterns in Asian Chinese societies.

The study of female college students' consumer psychology mechanism toward male celebrity endorsed products: Tempted or coerced?

The trend of male celebrities endorsing female products is increasing. However, research is lacking on whether this influence is due to the positive emotions generated by the male celebrity's attractiveness or the peer pressure due to mass purchases by the celebrity's fans, and how these effects differ across products with different attributes. This study aims to fill the gap in the existing literature by investigating the influence of male endorsers on female consumers purchase intention, and to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms by which attractiveness and conformity jointly influence purchase decisions. This study used a mixed-design text experiment to investigate the impact of male endorsers' attractiveness and conformity on female college students' positive product attitude and purchase intention for gender-neutral product, female skincare product, and female intimate product, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The data collected from 456 female college students were analyzed using bootstrap analysis. The study found that both male endorsers' attractiveness and conformity can enhance female college students' positive product attitude and promote their purchase intention for gender-neutral product. However, for female skincare product, male endorsers' attractiveness affects their positive product attitude and purchase intention. Nevertheless, when conformity was present, attractiveness no longer had an effect. Furthermore, for individuals with high levels of loneliness, attractiveness had a detrimental effect on their positive product attitude. On the other hand, conformity had a positive effect by promoting positive product attitude and increasing purchase intention. For female's intimate product, attractiveness did not affect positive product attitude and purchase intention, but the positive effect of conformity remained significant, and both relationships were not moderated by loneliness. It enhances our comprehension of the intricate dynamics underlying the influence of male celebrity endorsements on consumer purchasing decisions, and also offers theoretical justification for the selection of male endorsers for diverse female product.

INTERACTION OF CUSTOMERS WITH E-COMMERCE

In the dynamic landscape of contemporary commerce, the interaction between customers and e- commerce platforms play a pivotal role in shaping consumer behavior and driving business success. This capstone project delves into the multifaceted world of customer engagement with e-commerce platforms, examining the complexities and dynamics that define this relationship. Drawing insights from marketing, psychology, and technology, the study investigates various aspects of customer interaction, including user experience design, behavioral patterns, social influence, and customer service. A central focus is placed on user experience (UX) design in e-commerce interfaces, analyzing design elements, usability features, andinterface aesthetics to identify factors contributing to a seamless and intuitive user experience. Furthermore, empirical research and data analysis are utilized to understand the cognitive processes, decision-making mechanisms, and emotional triggers that influence consumer behavior online. By providing valuable insights and concrete advice, this study aims to assist businesses in optimizing their digital strategies and fostering meaningful relationships with their online audience in the ever-evolving digital marketplace.

Memahami Faktor Pembentuk Niat Pembelian Online di Indonesia: Eksistensi Sosial dalam e-Commerce, Sinyal Afiliasi Politik, Persepsi Kewajaran Harga, dan Kepercayaan

In the context of Industry 4.0, widespread internet penetration has significantly changed social and political dynamics and consumption behavior. This study analyzes the influence of social presence in e-commerce, perceived price fairness, and consumer trust on online purchase intentions in Indonesia, including these variables' direct and indirect impacts. This study also explores the role of political affiliation in the context of online image management by public figures, which is relevant for business continuity in Indonesia. The study adopted a quantitative approach, surveying 153 respondents in Indonesia. Data was collected and analyzed using Descriptive Statistical Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to validate the proposed hypotheses. The findings show that social presence in e-commerce partially influences perceived price fairness and trust. Similarly, perceived price fairness and trust have a partially significant impact on purchase intentions in online marketplaces. However, political affiliation signals have no significant influence on online purchase intentions. This research provides new insights into the dynamics of online purchasing in Indonesia, particularly concerning social and political factors. The findings are essential for e-commerce businesses to develop more effective marketing strategies, considering social aspects and perceived price fairness. In addition, this study suggests the importance of separating political image from online business activities for public figures and politicians to avoid negative impacts on consumer perceptions. Academics and practitioners can use these findings as a basis for further research examining the impact of socio-political variables on online consumer behavior.

Corporate Social Responsibility in Hypermodern Times: How to Identify Socially Responsible Consumers

Organizations have been increasingly paying attention to their myriad economic, ethical, social, and environmental responsibilities, partly driven by consumer pressure. It is imperative for organizations to identify who these socially responsible consumers are so that they can respond appropriately to their demands. Adopting the theoretical lens of hypermodernity, this study sought to develop a measurement to identify socially responsible consumers by their personality traits and behavioral intentions along five dimensions of hypermodernity. The study combined a systematic review of journal articles within business ethics, consumer psychology, and communication studies to propose a measurement, which was subsequently tested and refined. This study first offers a set of theoretically grounded psychographic variables that give robust insights into socially responsible consumers with high corporate social responsibility expectations. Second, the article offers practitioners a toolkit to identify socially responsible consumers.

Optimization of Online Advertising Decision Combination Based on the Attribution of Consumer Behavior Big Data

In the field of internet advertising, associated products based on various big data algorithms are widely presented on consumers’ browsing pages in order to increase their purchasing interest. With the help of computer big data processing, online advertisers can better grasp the shopping needs of consumers. This study proposes a chance constrained programming optimization model (CC-PR) for budget allocation of advertisers in a dynamic and complex consumer behavior context, based on the premise of analyzing consumers’ shopping journey from the perspective of the attribution of consumer behavior effects. It models different online behaviors generated by consumers’ interest transfer at different shopping stages. The characteristic of this method is to simulate changes in consumer psychology, overcome the difficulty of predicting multi-stage behavior of consumers, and extract a model of dynamic generalizable laws of consumer psychology. It dynamically adjusts advertising strategies based on changes in consumer tendencies at different stages. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, this paper introduces batch data from large shopping platforms and compares our method with the baseline method through experiments. The results show that the CC-PR method proposed in this paper has superior performance. A large amount of consumer behavior data can help advertisers make more accurate advertising decisions, and the method proposed in this article is also a good example of the application of computer big data processing in the field of online advertising.

Joint planning of residential electric vehicle charging station integrated with photovoltaic and energy storage considering demand response and uncertainties

Residential electric vehicle charging station integrated with photovoltaic and energy storage represents a burgeoning paradigm for the advancement of future charging infrastructures. This paper investigates its planning problem considering multiple load demand response and their uncertainties. First, a hybrid time series and Kalman Filter model is proposed for photovoltaic output prediction. Second, an orderly charging model and an incentive scheduling model are developed for electric vehicles to facilitate both price-based and incentive-based demand responses. Third, to address uncertainties in user response behavior, consumer psychology theory is applied to construct fuzzy response models for both charging and residential loads. Finally, a multi-objective capacity allocation model is constructed and optimized from the perspectives of economy, environment and safety. The simulation case studies the impact of different demand response strategies and their uncertainties on the planning results. The findings indicate that implementing multiple demand response strategies significantly increases annual revenue by 295.82 %, while reducing carbon emissions and power fluctuations by 16.48 % and 44.27 %, respectively.

The Impact of Data Media on Customer Spending Behavior and Consumer Psychology

In the epoch of big data and digital media, consumer behavior has experienced impressive changes. This paper explores the impact of data media on consumer behavior and psychology, particularly concerning social media and digital platforms. The transition from traditional data analytics to the diverse world of big data and digital media is analyzed in this paper as well as how this shift has changed the way companies understand consumer needs and adjust their marketing strategies. The paper also explores how big data enables companies to accurately predict consumer behavior and raises key questions about customers' and firms privacy, data security, and the ethical use of consumer information. In addition, the paper discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating digital transformation and changing consumer behavior. Understanding these changes is critical for businesses, marketers, and researchers to gain deeper insights into the current and future trends in consumer behavior in the digital age.