CONSUMER’S BEHAVIOR

Our consumers behavior varies owing to the many factors That influence consumer
behavior. Consumer behavior models have been developed to Substantiate the
various factors that influence consumer behavior and their Decision-making
process.
TEN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MODELS
The 10 consumer behavior models explained below are:
 Pavlovian model
 Economic model
 Input, process, output model
 Psychological model
 Howarth Sheth model
 Sociological model
 Family decision making model
 Industrial buying model
 Nicosia model

1. Pavlovian model: Ivan Pavlov, A famous psychologist, devised this

consumer behavior model and the model is named after him conducted
experiments to determine the change in behavior with the help of dogs. He
conditioned the dog’s mind to receive a piece of me every time a bell is rung
and measured the extent of change in behavior on the basis of level of saliva
secretion in dogs.

Learning was defined as the changes in behavior which are developed through
practice and personal experience. The learning process consists of Drive, Drives
and reinforcement. While a drive refers to a strong-internal-stimuli which demands
an action-drives are inbound psychological needs arise out of thirst physical
pleasure hunger and pain that creates a stimuli that gives out a triggering and non-
triggering queues. The triggering and non-triggering queues help to create a
response Which gets reinforced over time in a conditional pattern. Pavlovian model
is purely based on psychology and has been widely accepted around the world.
2. Economic model: According to this model consumers try to maximize the
utility from products on the basis of law of diminishing marginal utility.
Desire of consumer to obtain maximum gains by spending a minimum
amount such as the core for the derivation of this model. The economic
model assumes that there is close similarity between the behavior of wire
and that a homogeneous buying pattern is exhibited in the market. The
model is based on income effects, substitution effect and price effect.
Income effect says that when a person earns more income, he will have more
money to spend and so he will purchase more.
Substitution effect says the fact that if a substitute product is available at a cheaper
cost, then the product in question will be less preferred or less utilized by people.
Price effect suggests that when the price of a product is less consumers tend to
purchase more quantity of that product.
3. Input, process, output model:
The input, process, output model focuses on the product that is being marketed, the
environmental forces and family background of the consumer. That act as inputs
and Outputs in this model are:
Inputs are the marketing efforts in terms of product, price, place, promotion taken
by an organization and the environmental forces such as family reference groups,
culture, social class etc. that influence the decision-making process of a consumer.
These vectors which act as in good trailers the consumer to identify his needs and
ensure that the consumer gets the intention to purchase products after careful
evaluation of the factors.
Process is concerned with the purchase process. A consumer goes through various
steps like need recognition, awareness, evaluation and purchase in order to make a
buying decision. While a satisfied customer acts as the brand embarrassed exerting
influence on future purchases, a dissatisfied customer acts as a negative reference
point spoiling the marketing efforts of the company to promote the product.
Output refers to the consumers response to the marketing effort of the organization.
Some response that consumer display are regarding:
 Buying decision
 Choice of product
 Choice of brand
 Choice of dealer or store
 Purchase timing and amount
 Post purchase behavior

4. Psychological model:
The psychological model is based on the
famous psychologist A.H. Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs.
Psychological model divides the needs into psychological needs, safety and
security needs, social needs, ego needs and self-Actualization needs.
This division of needs is stormed as hierarchy of needs.
According to this model, the behavior of consumer gets motivated by their
needs and consumer needs never ceased to exist but arise one after another
with passing time. A consumer ax according to the strongest need at a
particular time, he strives to satisfy the basic needs first and then move on to
a higher level of needs and tries to satisfy them. This process continues till
he reaches the highest level in the hierarchy of needs.
5. Howarth Sheth Model:
This model elaborates the complexity involved in consumer behavior and
takes into consideration various factors like attitude of consumer their
perception levels and learning capacity that influence consumer behavior
this model is based on four variables that are:
 Input parameters: Inputs are provided by three types of stimuli
namely, significant stimuli, symbolic stimuli and social stimuli that
are essential to make a purchase decision.
A significative stimulus refers to the tangible product characteristics
like uniqueness, colony, stock availability, price and surveys
effectiveness. Symbolic stimuli refer to perception of an individual
about a particular product characteristic. Social stimuli takes into
consideration all factors that belong to the social group to which a
consumer belongs. Some factors related to Social Security are
reference groups and background and consumer financial status in the
society.
 Perceptual and learning constructs: Psychological variables like
motivation, altitude, learning and perception influence the decision-
making process of a consumer. When a consumer receives a stimuli
and interprets the interpretation is influenced by 2 factors that are
stimulus ambiguity and perpetual buyers. A similar ambiguity occurs
when a consumer cannot fully interpret estimates while perceptual
bias occurs when an individual manipulates the stimuli according to
his needs and experiences. Two factors influenza consumer to
evaluate a product or brand as good or bad and develop the
confidence to purchase it.
 Output parameters: Output in this model refers to the final purchase
decision and satisfaction or dissatisfaction levels of a consumer after
making a purchase. Higher satisfaction results in Elevated brand
performance while dissatisfaction leads to lower brand performance.
 External variables refer to the indirect influence exerted on the design
making process of consumers. Factors such as financial status, social
class, necessity to purchase and personality traits of individuals.
 All four factors are dependent on each other and influence the
decision-making process of a consumer.

6. Sociological model: The psychological model of consumer behavior is

closely related to the society and the versatile growth involved in the same.
These groups can be classified into primary and secondary one. Primary
growth consists of close acquaintances, friends, relatives and family
members. Secondary growth consists of any member in the society by his
personality type and requirement based on the same. Sociological model
focuses mainly on the lifestyle and related product requirements of
consumers in the society in a holistic manner.
7. Family decision making model: The Roll every member of a family place in
the purchased decision is unique. There are six types of members in a family
structure who exert influence over the purchasing decision of the others in
the family. They are:
a. The user
b. The influencer
c. The preparer
d. The gatekeeper
e. The Buyer
f. The decider
The user is the person in the family who plans to use the product being
purchased. The user may be a single person in the family or the whole
family. After purchase decision pertains to a car or television, it maybe you
by all family members will stop where a purchase decision pertains to
buying a mobile phone or a laptop it may be for a single person in the
family.
The Influencer is the person who keeps the family members updated about
products and services new to the market. He convinces them to go in for the
same. His influence plays a crucial role in the ultimate decision taken by the
family members.
The preparer is the person who gives a product its final shape in which it is
usually going to be used by the user in the family. Row vegetables move for
 cooking food is an example for the preparer role where one who cooks is
involved in the process.
The gatekeeper is a person in the family who influences the family members
to go in for products which they feel will use to them. They safeguard the
gates disk allowing any production service information that they dislike
from reaching their family members. They helped the family in decision
making by filtering information or product attributes to make a purchase
decision
The buyer is the person who actually buys the product irrespective of the
different kinds of influences exerted by other members of the family the
person playing the role of the buyer makes the actual purchase of the product
or service.
The decider is the person in family who has the money power to buy a
product or service chosen for purchase. Family member playing this role
have an upper hand in the purchase decision.
8. Engel-Blackwell-Kollat Model: This model is based on four key components
namely information processing, central control unit, decision making
process and influences exerted by the environment.
Information processing is dependent on many factors which act as stimuli
both from a marketing and non-marketing perspective, it consists of four
components that are exposure intention comprehension and retention.
Information processing focuses on the message to which the consumer is
constantly exposed. When the message can instantly grab the attention of the
consumer, The next logical step for him is to comprehend about the same in
the rational manner. When all of the activities happened in the perfect
manner the message is retained in the memory of the consumer.
Central control unit is based on four factors that are psychological in nature.
 Previous experiences of the consumer and their acquaintances about
the product
 Criteria based on which a consumer evaluates a product
 Changing mindsets of consumers
 Personality of a consumer based on which he or she takes the
purchase decision.
 The decision process consists of recognizing the problem internal and
external information surge evaluation of the alternatives available and
finally purchasing the product this component deals with the post
purchase satisfaction levels as well as dissatisfaction levels which
plays a crucial role in the future design making process of the
consumer.

The Environmental influences consist of all those factors that may

favor or disfavor the purchase decision-like:
 Income level of consumers
 Financial status and social class in the society
 Family influences and other social factors etc.
9. Industrial buying model deals with the cumbersome process involved in
making purchase decisions in a typical industrial setup. The decision-making
process related to purchase in an industrial setup involves many departments
that are concerned with the same in a direct or indirect manner. This model
highlights three crucial characteristics involved in purchase vision by
industries.
 Individuals who hail from different backgrounds, possessing bearing
psychological outlook are involved in the decision-making process.
 Joint decision making is inevitable in an industrial setup.
 Decisions pertaining to a purchase may lead to opinion clashes
between concerned departments or individuals before an important
solution is found.
Individuals in decision making capacities may be from different various
departments in an organization. Some departments concerned are research and
development department, quality control department, finance department,
manufacturing department and technical support department amongst the many
other. Committee that is formed for making purchase rated decision may comprise
individuals who
 Have different perception
 Hail from varying backgrounds
 Have different satisfaction levels related to past experience
 Obtain information from different sources
 Search experiences that is totally dependent on their skills.