The birth of consumer behavior: motivation research in the 1940s and 1950s

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how 1940s and 1950s motivation research laid the foundations of present day consumer behavior as a discipline. Design/methodology/approach This research uses standard historical methodology – heavy reliance upon primary sources, avoidance of anachronism, heavy use of contemporary quotations, and effort to explain and interpret. Findings Using sociology, anthropology, and clinical psychology to explain how and why consumers buy, motivation research provided business with valuable information, and, in the long run, began today's consumer behavior field of study. Originality/value This paper offers a different view of motivation research, stressing its use of sociology and anthropology. It offers a corrective to the prevailing over‐emphasis on Ernest Dichter.