TOPIC 1: Model of Consumer Behavior

Let's take the Model of Consumer Behavior for a spin. Consider the last time you purchased a nice dinner at an upscale restaurant. What was your choice of restaurant? Go through all the variables outlined in the first two columns of the model, environmental factors, and consumer factors, and identify the factors that influenced your decision. Note how they resulted in your purchase decision. (Hint: You might have to read ahead for more thorough explanations of each factor

TOPIC 2: Role of Involvement

Consider the restaurant purchase you made in Topic 1. What was your decision-making behavior? Was it a routine, complex, or limited problem-solving situation? Identify which behavior and explain how the level of involvement played into your decision.

TOPIC 3: Hierarchy of Needs

Consider which stage of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs you are most likely in that drives a lot of your purchase decisions. Are those purchases consistent with this stage? For example, have you switched to buying only organic food because you are mostly concerned with fulfilling your social needs? Or, are you still searching for the lowest-priced foods because you are still filling your basic need for food? Or, do you find yourself donating time or money to charities because you are trying to reach self-actualization?