Consumer Behavior Overview

Principles

Definition

Consumer behavior is an academic field dedicated to investigating the processes individuals and groups utilize when selecting, purchasing, using, and disposing of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. This research domain analyzes the psychological, social, cultural, and situational factors that influence these decision-making processes and post-purchase outcomes, providing insights crucial for marketing strategy, public policy, and understanding economic activity.

Ontological type

Core Theories

Psychological Drivers

Marketing Strategy Applications

Key developments

Key Figures

Behavioral Consumer Foundations era

Shelby D. Hunt [1] was affiliated with University of Wisconsin–Madison [3] and Texas Tech University [4] during the Behavioral Consumer Foundations era. Hunt [1] articulated the commitment-trust theory in The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing [7], a milestone that reframed relationship marketing by foregrounding trust and commitment as drivers of loyalty and long-term exchange. Elizabeth C. Hirschman [2] was associated with New York University [5] and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey [6] during this period. Hirschman [2] advanced experiential and hedonic dimensions of consumption in The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun [8] and Hedonic Consumption: Emerging Concepts, Methods and Propositions [9], shaping how researchers and advertisers understood motivation, emotion, and consumer choice in the era.

Trust-Centered Digital Adoption era

Viswanath Venkatesh [1] is a central figure in the Trust-Centered Digital Adoption era, with affiliations including University of Maryland, College Park [3] and Virginia Tech [4]. His contributions include the theoretical extension of the Technology Acceptance Model, as described in A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four Longitudinal Field Studies [7], which shows how trust and acceptance dynamics unfold over time to influence online adoption and retention. Richard L. Oliver [2] is another leading scholar associated with Vanderbilt University [5] and the University of Akron [6] during this era. His papers Whence Consumer Loyalty? [8] and Satisfaction: a behavioral perspective on the consumer [9] helped crystallize loyalty and satisfaction as behavioral constructs shaping trust-based engagement in digital markets.

Experience-Driven Digital Consumption era

Jörg Henseler [1] is associated with Radboud University Nijmegen [3] and the University of Twente [4] in this era. He contributed to advancing PLS path modeling methods in new technology research, as exemplified by the paper Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: updated guidelines [7], which offered updated guidelines that strengthened methodological rigor for studying consumer experience-driven digital adoption. Geoffrey S. Hubona [2] is linked to Lund University [5] and Virginia Commonwealth University [6] in this era. He co-authored the same influential paper, Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: updated guidelines [7], and contributed to establishing practical guidelines for applying PLS path modeling to test experiential and social influence pathways in digital green consumption, clarifying how platform quality and social signals shape purchase intentions.