Question

Compare and contrast three major influences on the consumer’s decision making processes.

Answer 1

The three major influences on the consumer's decision making is:

• social
• situational
• psychological

Social influences: The family of the consumer, their social classes, or sub-classes, the groups in which the person holds a membership all these factors influence the decision making of the consumers. Forces that other people exert on buying behaviour are called social influences. These influences are external.

Situation influences: Situational influences result from circumstances, time, and location that affect the consumer buying decision process. The situational factors are the physical surroundings, social surroundings, the consumers mood and condition, the reason for making the purchase. These factors can affect the consumers at any stage of decision making , and it can either lengthen , shorten or terminate the decision making process.

Psychological factors: these factors that affect a consumers decision making are their lifestyles, their motives, personality, attitudes. The general behaviour of the consumers and how these behaviour affect their decision making. These influences are internal.