Consumer behaviour: Concepts, consumer research-Quantitative research, Qualitative research, consumer research process, consumer decision making model, types of consumer decision making (Extensive problem solving, Limited problem solving, Routinized problem solving) Market segmentation: Meaning, bases, criterion for effective segmentation, concentrated vs. differentiated segmentation, countersegmentation, patterns of market segmentation (Market specialization, Product specialization, Selective specialization, Segment specialization, Full market coverage)

Consumer motivation: Meaning, types of motivation, hierarchy of needs, rational vs. emotional motives. Consumer perception: Meaning, absolute threshold, differential threshold, subliminal perception, perceptual selection, perceptual organization, perceptual interpretation, product positioning, product repositioning, positioning of services, perceived price, perceived quality, price/quality relationship, retail store image, manufacturer’s image.

Consumer learning: Elements of consumer learning, theories of learning (Classical conditioning, Instrumental conditioning), measures of consumer learning (recognition and recall measures) Reference groups and family influences: Meaning, types of reference groups, family life cycle (Traditional, Non-traditional), relationship between family life cycle and consumer behavior.

Social class: Meaning, social class categories, measurement of social class, (subjective, reputational, objective measures), social class mobility, applications of social class behavior pattern on consumer behavior.

Influence of culture: Culture-Meaning, characteristics, enculturation and acculturation, measurement of culture, cultural relevance to marketing decisions, subculture, nationality subculture, religious subculture, geographic and regional subculture, racial subcultures, age subcultures, gender as subculture.