Question

Consumer behaviour course

Illustrate the self concept and clarify its relevance to consumption. Are there multiple selves that individual consumers may be managing through their purchase decisions?

Answer 1

Consumer Behavior
The term consumer behavior can be defined the factors that affect a consumer to influence in his decisions on consumption. The behavior may be different to different consumer depending on the aspects of search, selection and purchase of services. Consumer behavior itself is an area under marketing to research about. The area focuses on how different consumers differ with their own interests and how they are affected in consumption.
Consumption is mostly a process of following interests. Individuals differing tastes and interests get various ideas and methods to consume. Market demand is an average interest of the public on which, everyone differs. The self behavior of every individual giving different utility on different goods forces them to choose one over other at situations. Goods are not giving same utility to all because of the varying self within individuals. Factors influencing individuals self, like family interest, personal interest etc. could matter. Also, within a single individual, the behavior is not always constant varying to the change in preferences. Individual changing the demand decision accordingly where he wants. The time being healthy and unhealthy can be considered as an example for multiple selves within one. The consumption cannot follow single behavior because the behavior itself is of fluctuations. Thus the demand changes as the utility differs according to situations and changes within selves to adapt or stay constant in the same way of consuming behavior.