Report: Science of Consumer Behavior and Laptop Preferences

This report offers a comprehensive analysis of consumer behavior, specifically focusing on the decision-making processes involved in purchasing a laptop. The study examines the behavior of three respondents, considering their personalities based on trait and Freudian theories, as well as demographic factors such as age, income, and education. The report analyzes how these factors influence the respondents' rankings of evaluative criteria and their final laptop choices. It delves into the application of personality and demographic theories to understand consumer preferences and provides recommendations for effective marketing strategies. The findings highlight the importance of understanding consumer motivations, preferences, and the role of factors like warranty, price, and hardware specifications. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of psychological and demographic insights in predicting consumer behavior and developing targeted marketing campaigns. The report also suggests incorporating learning and memory theories in marketing strategies.

RUNNING HEAD: SCIENCE OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Science of Consumer Behavior
Student Name
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Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................3
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................4
2. Analysis of chosen respondents behavior based on personality theories...........................................4
2.1 Why their rankings of evaluative criteria are different......................................................................5
2.2 Why their choices of the laptop are different?..................................................................................6
3. Analysis of chosen respondents behavior based on demographic theories........................................6
3.1 Why their rankings of evaluative criteria are different......................................................................7
3.2 Why their choices of the laptop are different....................................................................................8
4. Recommendations...............................................................................................................................8
4.1 Characteristics of the likeliest consumers..........................................................................................8
4.2 How to attract the customers by learning and memory theories......................................................9
5. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................9
References.................................................................................................................................................10

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Executive Summary
The report is a detailed account of consumer behavior. A study of the different aspects
that go into the purchase of a laptop, which is a major purchasing decision for many individuals
has been done here extensively.
The analysis has been done on three people, based on a series of questions that had been
prepared earlier. The questionnaire tries to capture the consumers emotional, mental and
behavioral responses, along with other factors like age, gender, income and ethnicity. The
questionnaire also reveals the laptop choices of the respondents depending on various external
factors.
Based on the questionnaire and the choices of the respondents, the buying trends of the
respondents are analyzed. The insights that are gained from the behavior of the three respondents
are used as recommendations for marketing strategies in the future.

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1. Introduction
Consumer behavior could be defined as the study of how consumers make important
decisions about the things they intend to purchase (Anderson and He, 2015). Consumer behavior
plays an important role in analyzing how potential customers would respond to a new product in
the market (Bradford, et.al, 2017). A scrutiny into the behavior of prospective buyers also helps
in identifying new opportunities for the seller (Lantos, 2015). An in-depth analysis of the
behavior of the consumers reveals how individuals select and buy goods to satisfy their needs. It
also provides certain clues for improving the existing product and to develop marketing
strategies (Solomon et.al, 2014).
A laptop, which is a personal computer that is designed for personal use, has become an
accessory for students and business people alike. The purchase of a laptop is a very critical
decision and can throw light into the different aspects of consumer behavior that range from
personality to demographics (Stephen, 2016).
2. Analysis of chosen respondents behavior based on personality theories.
The major aspect to be taken into consideration while analyzing consumer behavior is the
trait theory (Lievens et.al, 2018). Having a deep analysis of the personal traits of the consumers
helps in deriving a link between the purchasing choices and an individuals personality (Mathews,
2018). Based on the trait theory, an individuals personality may be categorized into outgoing,
sad, stable, relaxed, imaginative, self-assured or practical (Beatty and Pascual‐Ferrá, 2016).
Similarly, the Freudian Theory explains factors like ID which is directly related to the
desires of an individual triggered by the unconscious aspect of the human mind (Stoléru,
2014). Ego is another factor which is the fully conscious self-image. Ego controls the impulsive

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behavior of the consumer (Eagle, 2017). The third aspect is the superego which helps the
consumer to make wise and balanced decisions while purchasing.
The non-Freudian theory categorizes individuals as compliant, aggressive or detached.
This model helps in classifying consumer behavior in a holistic manner. The behavior of the
respondents, respondent 1, a 19-year-old college student, respondent 4, a 51-year-old full-time
mum, and respondent 5, a 63-year old company director are analyzed based on these personality
theories.
2.1 Why their rankings of evaluative criteria are different.
Respondent 1, has opted for the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming. The respondent seems to
be an introverted, sensitive individual. He likes to explore new things but does not spend too
much time to be judicious and organized. The buyer has given emphasis to gaming, which aligns
perfectly with his introverted nature. One of the reasons for the buyer's laptop purchase was to
use it as a means of entertainment.
Respondent 4 has gone for the Dell Inspiron 17 5000 as her laptop of choice. She seems
be an organized individual. It could also be determined that she is a routine person, and is not too
keen on new experiences. Her main criterion for a laptop purchase is warranty. Respondent 5 has
opted for the Dell XPS 13. He seems to be a highly efficient, organized and stable individual. He
is also extroverted, with a moderate affinity towards new experiences. The analysis of his
evaluative criteria denotes that he has given utmost significance to weight and warranty.
2.2 Why their choices of the laptop are different?
Based on the Freudian Theory, it could be seen that for respondent 1, the ID which
demands immediate satisfaction, has been a decisive factor (Allen, 2015). Despite giving

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importance to price, he has gone for option 5 as his favored laptop. ID works towards sensual
self-indulgence and pleasure, which are immediate results of his choice. Respondent 4 has gone
for option 3, which is the costliest of all the laptop models. But the questionnaire reveals that her
major criterion was warranty. Ego and ID seem to be the major factors at play during her
purchase. Based on the trait theory, it could be said that respondent 5 is a fairly outgoing,
controlled, self-assured and stable individual. Out of all the options, option 4 seems to be the
perfect choice based on his preference. Based on the Freudian theory, it may be appropriate to
suggest that his superego has helped him make the right judgment.
3. Analysis of chosen respondents behavior based on demographic theories.
Factors like age, sex, income, ethnicity etc. are things that are of prime importance for
marketing and advertising (Carr et.al, 2014). Age is one of the important factors that affect a
consumers buying behavior. While respondents 4 and 5 are elderly people, respondent 1 is a
young individual. Demographics denote that when people are young, they give more importance
to factors like recreation and style. Normally it is perceived that homemakers are less impulsive
in their decision-making process and take a decision after a lot of thought. For a laptop, a person
in higher income level would prefer style, design, and features. Preferences can be influenced to
a great degree by education, where the more educated a consumer is, the more astute his
decisions would be.
3.1 Why their rankings of evaluative criteria are different
The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming that the first respondent has chosen indicates his
affinity towards high-end gaming and good hardware specifications. As he is a college student,

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his income would not be that high to afford a high-end laptop. Hence, the price is being
considered as one of the important factors during his purchase. Respondent 4 has opted for
option 3, the Dell Inspiron 17 5000. An analysis of her household pretax income denotes that she
could well afford a laptop in such a high price range. Considering her age, she has taken into
consideration the weight of the laptop too. She might have taken into consideration the fact that
her children would be using the laptop, and hence has given great importance to the evaluative
criteria, warranty. She may not be technologically savvy, considering her education, and hence
the reason for her giving average importance to hardware specifications.
It could be noted that the company director has given least importance to price.
Considering his business needs, he has given importance to screen size, as there may be a lot of
email correspondence. The processor capacity and other hardware specifications are not given
much importance, as his purpose out of a laptop would be mostly pertaining to business, than for
entertainment.
3.2 Why their choices of the laptop are different
The first repsondent has gone for a fairly overpriced model despite giving importance to
price. The reason may be that he is a young student, and wants to use the laptop as a means of
entertainment and style. Respondent 4, similarly has gone for an expensive model. But the
decision seems to be judicious as she has given importance to warranty. The fifth respondent has
gone for a model that suits his business needs. The decision seems to be apt, as it fits his
requirements of being weightless.

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4. Recommendations
The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming seems to be the ideal laptop for students with its
specifications that are suitable for high-end gaming and for personal use as well. The target
customers for this laptop could be youngsters who would be viewing a laptop as a mode of
entertainment and for education purposes. The target customers could be attracted by providing
colorful designs at affordable prices. For providing customers with a smooth gaming experience,
the manufacturers could offer aggressive lines and multicolor keyboards.
4.1 Characteristics of the likeliest consumers
As students would be the major consumers, the laptop should be seen as a tool to handle
their study requirements and entertainment needs. The laptop thus should be affordable for them.
As the target customers would be youngsters and students, they would be educated and
technologically aware. The pros and cons would be scrutinized more before a decision of
purchasing would be made. The target age group of the consumers would be between 18 and 25.
As the price of the laptop is towards the higher end, the buyers would be in the higher income
group. As the laptop is ideal for gaming, the target customers could be young males, who have a
greater affinity towards computer games. An analysis of the personality traits denotes that
individuals who are open to new experiences and are extroverted are more likely to purchase the
particular model of laptop.
4.2 How to attract the customers by learning and memory theories
Learning theories like classical conditioning could be used as marketing strategies to sell
their product. As the target customers are students, classical conditioning could be used to

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associate the laptop with someone like a brand ambassador, who embodies success. The use of a
celebrity, someone who is highly successful in the business or the technological world could be
used as the brand ambassador for the product, where the students may be able to draw
comparisons with the product. Similarly, operand conditioning could be used for marketing the
product, by providing good after sale service. If the target customers get a positive experience
out of the product through good after sale service, it would help in creating a good perception of
the product.
5. Conclusion
The recent studies and advances that have been made on psychology could help in predicting
consumer behavior. Studies indicate that traits are more or less stable indicators of behavioral
patterns while attitude and emotions keep varying. The relationship between trait and consumer
behavior is indispensable and it could be inferred that motivation of a trait is closely interrelated
to the motivation of a behavior. Demographic studies also indicate that consumer behavior can
differ from each individual based on factors like age, income, sex, and education. Factors like
these affect purchasing decisions and they can be used by companies to devise effective
marketing strategies.

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References.
Allen, B. P. (2015). Personality theories: Development, growth, and diversity.
Psychology Press.
Anderson, P. M., & He, X. (2015). Consumer behavior in East/West cultures:
Implications for marketing a consumer durable. In Proceedings of the 1996 Multicultural
Marketing Conference (pp. 3-8). Springer, Cham.
Beatty, M. J., & Pascual‐Ferrá, P. (2016). Trait Theories. The International Encyclopedia
of Communication Theory and Philosophy.
Bradford, D., Courtemanche, C., Heutel, G., McAlvanah, P., & Ruhm, C. (2017). Time
preferences and consumer behavior. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 55(2-3), 119-145.
Carr, Ryan, Mark Davis, and Gary M. Katz. "Assumed demographics, predicted
behavior, and targeted incentives." U.S. Patent 8,650,065, issued February 11, 2014.
Eagle, M. N. (2017). Inner conflict in Freudian theory. Psychoanalytic Perspectives on
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Lantos, G. P. (2015). Consumer behavior in action: Real-life applications for marketing
managers. Routledge.
Lievens, F., Lang, J. W., De Fruyt, F., Corstjens, J., Van de Vijver, M., & Bledow, R.
(2018). The predictive power of people’s intraindividual variability across situations:
Implementing whole trait theory in assessment. Journal of Applied Psychology.

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Matthews, G. (2018). Cognitive‐Adaptive Trait Theory: A Shift in Perspective on
Personality. Journal of personality.
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(2014). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (Vol. 10). Pearson.
Stephen, A. T. (2016). The role of digital and social media marketing in consumer
behavior. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 17-21.
Stoléru, S. (2014). Reading the Freudian theory of sexual drives from a functional
neuroimaging perspective. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 8, 157.