Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics

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Consumer behavior research paper topics are essential to students studying this field. This comprehensive guide from iResearchNet provides a comprehensive list of consumer behavior research paper topics divided into 10 categories, expert advice on selecting a relevant topic, and a step-by-step guide on writing a successful research paper. Additionally, iResearchNet offers writing services with expert degree-holding writers, custom written works, in-depth research, custom formatting, top quality, customized solutions, flexible pricing, short deadlines, timely delivery, 24/7 support, absolute privacy, easy order tracking, and a money-back guarantee. By following the expert advice provided and using iResearchNet’s writing services, students can produce high-quality research papers that make meaningful contributions to the field of consumer behavior.

Understanding Consumer Behavior Research

Consumer behavior research is an essential field of study that explores the processes and activities that individuals undertake when making decisions related to purchasing goods and services. This field is particularly important for marketers, advertisers, and sales professionals who seek to understand how consumers make purchasing decisions and how they can influence these decisions.

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Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics

For students studying consumer behavior, research papers are a common assignment that require them to explore various topics related to this field. However, selecting a relevant and feasible research paper topic can be challenging. Furthermore, writing a successful research paper requires attention to detail and adherence to academic standards. This comprehensive guide from iResearchNet is designed to assist students in selecting appropriate consumer behavior research paper topics and providing expert advice on how to write a successful research paper. The guide also provides information on iResearchNet’s writing services, which offer students a valuable resource for producing high-quality research papers that meet the academic standards of their instructors. By following the guidelines and using iResearchNet’s writing services, students can produce research papers that make meaningful contributions to the field of consumer behavior.

100 Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics

Consumer behavior research encompasses a wide range of topics, each of which explores different aspects of how individuals make decisions related to purchasing goods and services. Here are ten categories of consumer behavior research paper topics that students can consider when selecting a research topic, along with ten sample topics for each category:

Perception and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of package design on consumer perception of food products
  • The effect of product display on consumer attention and purchase intention
  • The role of brand familiarity in consumer perception of luxury goods
  • The influence of product color on consumer perception and behavior
  • The effect of music in advertising on consumer perception and recall
  • The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer perception of products
  • The effect of font type on consumer perception of brand personality
  • The role of scent in retail environments on consumer behavior
  • The influence of product label claims on consumer perception of health and wellness
  • The impact of product design on consumer perception of eco-friendliness

Motivation and consumer behavior:

  • The influence of brand personality on consumer motivation to purchase
  • The role of scarcity in marketing on consumer motivation and behavior
  • The impact of rewards and incentives on consumer motivation and loyalty
  • The effect of social proof on consumer motivation to purchase
  • The influence of emotions on consumer motivation to purchase
  • The role of self-congruity in consumer motivation and brand preference
  • The impact of brand trust on consumer motivation to purchase
  • The effect of personalized marketing on consumer motivation and engagement
  • The influence of product involvement on consumer motivation and purchase intention
  • The role of value perception in consumer motivation and price sensitivity

Attitudes and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of brand image on consumer attitudes and loyalty
  • The role of social responsibility in consumer attitudes towards brands
  • The influence of culture on consumer attitudes towards luxury goods
  • The effect of perceived risk on consumer attitudes and behavior
  • The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer attitudes towards products
  • The role of nostalgia in shaping consumer attitudes towards brands
  • The influence of brand authenticity on consumer attitudes and behavior
  • The effect of word-of-mouth communication on consumer attitudes and behavior
  • The impact of service quality on consumer attitudes and loyalty
  • The role of price perception in shaping consumer attitudes towards products

Learning and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of advertising on consumer learning and recall
  • The role of sensory marketing in consumer learning and behavior
  • The influence of online reviews on consumer learning and purchase decisions
  • The effect of product placement in movies on consumer learning and recall
  • The impact of social media on consumer learning and brand awareness
  • The role of brand familiarity in consumer learning and recall
  • The influence of product packaging on consumer learning and memory
  • The effect of information overload on consumer learning and decision making
  • The impact of brand slogans on consumer learning and recall
  • The role of perceived value in consumer learning and purchase behavior

Memory and consumer behavior:

  • The influence of brand familiarity on consumer memory and recall
  • The role of nostalgia in consumer memory and brand preference
  • The impact of product design on consumer memory and recall
  • The effect of advertising repetition on consumer memory and brand awareness
  • The influence of mood on consumer memory and recall of advertising
  • The role of social media in consumer memory and brand awareness
  • The impact of story-telling in advertising on consumer memory and recall
  • The effect of novelty in advertising on consumer memory and recall
  • The influence of age on consumer memory and recall of advertising
  • The role of emotions in consumer memory and recall of advertising

Culture and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of cultural differences on consumer behavior and preferences
  • The role of religion in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of gender roles on consumer behavior and preferences
  • The effect of country-of-origin on consumer behavior and brand perception
  • The impact of subcultures on consumer behavior and preferences
  • The role of ethnicity in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of language on consumer behavior and perception
  • The effect of cross-cultural marketing on consumer behavior and perception
  • The impact of cultural values on consumer behavior and decision making
  • The role of consumer ethnocentrism in shaping consumer behavior and preferences

Emotions and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of emotions on consumer decision making and behavior
  • The role of mood on consumer decision making and purchase intention
  • The influence of emotional branding on consumer behavior and loyalty
  • The effect of emotional appeals in advertising on consumer behavior
  • The impact of emotions on consumer satisfaction and loyalty
  • The role of self-expression in shaping consumer emotional responses to brands
  • The influence of nostalgia on consumer emotional responses to brands
  • The effect of humor in advertising on consumer emotional responses and behavior
  • The impact of product design on consumer emotional responses and behavior
  • The role of perceived authenticity in shaping consumer emotional responses to brands

Social Influence and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of social norms on consumer behavior and preferences
  • The role of social comparison in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of reference groups on consumer behavior and brand perception
  • The effect of social media on consumer behavior and decision making
  • The impact of social identity on consumer behavior and brand loyalty
  • The role of social class in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of social networks on consumer behavior and brand perception
  • The effect of social proof in marketing on consumer behavior and preferences
  • The impact of peer pressure on consumer behavior and decision making
  • The role of social responsibility in shaping consumer behavior and brand perception

Decision Making and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of information overload on consumer decision making
  • The role of decision heuristics in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of product complexity on consumer decision making and preferences
  • The effect of decision context on consumer decision making and behavior
  • The impact of decision fatigue on consumer behavior and decision making
  • The role of decision-making style in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of decision-making strategies on consumer behavior and preferences
  • The effect of cognitive dissonance on consumer behavior and decision making
  • The impact of choice architecture on consumer decision making and behavior
  • The role of decision framing in shaping consumer behavior and preferences

Ethics and consumer behavior:

  • The impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior and brand perception
  • The role of ethical consumption in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of perceived ethicality on consumer behavior and brand loyalty
  • The effect of green marketing on consumer behavior and purchase intention
  • The impact of fair trade on consumer behavior and brand perception
  • The role of animal welfare in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
  • The influence of social justice issues on consumer behavior and brand perception
  • The effect of cause-related marketing on consumer behavior and brand loyalty
  • The impact of transparency in marketing on consumer behavior and trust
  • The role of consumer activism in shaping consumer behavior and preferences

These ten categories provide a broad range of consumer behavior research paper topics for students to explore within the field of consumer behavior. By selecting a topic that aligns with their interests and research goals, students can produce a high-quality research paper that contributes to the knowledge base of consumer behavior.

Choosing a Consumer Behavior Topic

Choosing a topic for a research paper in consumer behavior can be a challenging task, especially given the vast array of potential topics. To help students navigate this process, it is important to consider a few key factors when selecting a topic.

  • First , it is essential to choose a topic that aligns with your interests and passions. When you are passionate about a topic, it is easier to stay engaged throughout the research process and to produce high-quality work. Additionally, having a personal connection to the topic can inspire new and unique perspectives, leading to original research.
  • Second , consider the relevance and significance of the topic. The best research papers are those that make a meaningful contribution to the field of consumer behavior. Look for topics that are timely, relevant, and offer a new perspective on existing theories or practices. A topic that is of current interest to industry professionals, policymakers, or academics can also provide opportunities for real-world impact.
  • Third , consider the available resources and access to data. Research papers require a significant amount of data and research, so it is important to choose a topic that allows for access to relevant data and resources. Consider the availability of data sources, academic journals, and industry reports that may be needed to support your research.
  • Fourth , consider the scope and focus of the research paper. A topic that is too broad or too narrow can make the research process more challenging. It is essential to identify a specific research question or hypothesis that can be effectively addressed within the scope of the research paper. Additionally, it is important to consider the level of analysis, such as individual or group-level behaviors, and whether the research will be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.
  • Fifth , consider seeking guidance from your instructor or a research advisor. They can provide valuable insight and feedback on potential topics and can help guide the research process. Additionally, they may be able to offer suggestions for data sources or research methodologies that can strengthen the research paper.

Ultimately, the key to choosing a successful topic for a consumer behavior research paper is to identify a topic that aligns with your interests, offers relevance and significance, has available data sources and resources, has a focused research question or hypothesis, and seeks guidance from a research advisor or instructor. By carefully considering these factors, students can select a topic that inspires them and leads to a high-quality research paper.

How to Write a Consumer Behavior Research Paper

When it comes to writing a research paper on consumer behavior, there are several key steps to follow to ensure a successful outcome. Here are some tips to help guide you through the writing process:

  • Develop a clear and concise research question : The first step in writing a research paper on consumer behavior is to develop a clear and concise research question. This question should be focused and specific, and should guide your research and analysis throughout the writing process.
  • Conduct a thorough literature review : Before beginning your research, it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to identify existing theories and research related to your topic. This review will help you to identify any gaps in the existing research that your paper can address.
  • Choose appropriate research methods : There are a variety of research methods that can be used in consumer behavior research, including surveys, experiments, and case studies. Choose the appropriate method(s) based on your research question and the data you are trying to collect.
  • Collect and analyze data : Once you have identified your research question and chosen your research method, it is time to collect and analyze your data. This may involve conducting surveys or experiments, analyzing existing data sets, or conducting interviews or focus groups.
  • Organize and present your findings : After analyzing your data, it is important to organize your findings in a clear and concise manner. This may involve creating charts or graphs to visually represent your data, or using tables to compare and contrast your findings. It is also important to provide a clear and concise summary of your findings in your conclusion.
  • Use appropriate formatting and citation styles : When writing a research paper on consumer behavior, it is important to use appropriate formatting and citation styles. Most papers in this field will use either APA or MLA style formatting and citations.
  • Revise and edit your paper : Once you have completed your first draft, it is important to revise and edit your paper to ensure clarity, conciseness, and accuracy. This may involve reorganizing sections, cutting out extraneous information, or rephrasing sentences for clarity.

By following these steps, you can produce a high-quality research paper on consumer behavior that contributes to the field and provides valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and industry professionals alike.

iResearchNet Writing Services

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In conclusion, writing a research paper on consumer behavior can be a challenging task, but it is also a rewarding one. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can produce a high-quality research paper that contributes to the field and provides valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and industry professionals alike.

Remember to choose a clear and concise research question, conduct a thorough literature review, choose appropriate research methods, collect and analyze data, and organize and present your findings in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, using appropriate formatting and citation styles and revising and editing your paper are also important steps in producing a successful research paper on consumer behavior.

If you need additional help with your research paper, iResearchNet offers custom writing services designed to help students produce high-quality, well-researched papers on any topic related to consumer behavior. Our team of expert writers has the knowledge and expertise to help you produce a paper that meets your specific needs and exceeds your expectations.

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quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

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  • Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection

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COVID-19, consumer behavior, technology, and society: A literature review and bibliometric analysis

Jorge cruz-cárdenas.

a Research Center in Business, Society, and Technology, ESTec, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador

b School of Administrative and Economic Science, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador

Ekaterina Zabelina

c Department of Psychology, Chelyabinsk State University, Bratiev Kashirinykh 129, 454001 Chelyabinsk, Russia

Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas

Andrés palacio-fierro.

d Programa doctoral en Ciencias Jurídicas y Económicas, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Castillo de Alarcón, 49, 28692 Madrid, Spain

Carlos Ramos-Galarza

e Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av . 12 de octubre 1076, 170523, Quito, Ecuador

f Centro de Investigación MIST, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador

Associated Data

The COVID-19 crisis is among the most disruptive events in recent decades. Its profound consequences have garnered the interest of many studies in various disciplines, including consumer behavior, thereby warranting an effort to review and systematize the literature. Thus, this study systematizes the knowledge generated by 70 COVID-19 and consumer behavior studies in the Scopus database. It employs descriptive analysis, highlighting the importance of using quantitative methods and China and the US as research settings. Co-occurrence analysis further identified various thematic clusters among the studies. The input-process-output consumer behavior model guided the systematic review, covering several psychological characteristics and consumer behaviors. Accordingly, measures adopted by governments, technology, and social media stand out as external factors. However, revised marketing strategies have been oriented toward counteracting various consumer risks. Hence, given that technological and digital formats mark consumer behavior, firms must incorporate digital transformations in their process.

1. Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is among the most relevant events of recent decades. Its social and economic consequences on a global level are enormous. At the social level, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported over four million global deaths due to COVID-19 ( WHO, 2021a ). Economies have also been severely affected ( Donthu and Gustafsson, 2020 ). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that the gross domestic product, worldwide, will plummet to about 4.9% in 2020 ( IMF, 2020 ). These remarkable social and economic implications of the pandemic and its unique features have inspired many studies from various disciplines, including consumer behavior. The crisis scenario has profoundly shifted consumer behavior toward one based on technology ( Sheth, 2020 ).

In prior pandemics, social and behavioral science research focused heavily on preventive and health behavior, while consumer behavior received less attention ( Laato et al., 2020 ). The situation has been different for the COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19 and consumer behavior studies proliferate the literature. Reasonably, such rapidly accumulating bodies of knowledge require organization and systematization, lest such knowledge produced in fast-growing fields remains fragmented ( Snyder, 2019 ). Thus, this study fulfills this need by identifying knowledge generated by 70 relevant studies in the Scopus database, indexed up to January 5, 2021, for systematic processing.

Prior theoretical efforts created a global and general perspective of consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such efforts have sought to propose possible stages in behavior, comparing old and new consumption habits, or explain behaviors based on similarities with other crises and disruptive events, such as other pandemics, wars, or natural disasters (e.g., Kirk and Rifkin, 2020 ; Sheth, 2020 ; Zwanka and Buff, 2020 ). However, this study is evidently among the first to review the literature on COVID-19 and consumer behavior. The study is necessary because, beyond its similarities with other disruptive events, the COVID-19 crisis has several fundamental differences. First, it is truly global ( Brem et al., 2020 ). Second, it coincides with the rapid advance of various disruptive technologies, the confluence of which has been called “digital transformation” ( Abdel-Basset et al., 2021 ).

First, the study conducts descriptive and bibliometric analyses of the 70 selected COVID-19 and consumer behavior articles. Second, an input-process-output consumer behavior model is used to systematize the existing literature. The model, adapted by Cruz-Cárdenas and Arévalo-Chávez (2018) from Schiffman and Wisenblit (2015) for systematic reviews, furnished a comprehensive understanding of the pandemic-era consumer behavior via macro-environmental, micro-environmental, and internal-consumer-factor integration.

Accordingly, government regulations and technology stand out as fundamental forces at the macro level. At the micro-level, specific technological applications like social media and business platforms, social group and family pressure, and marketing strategies stand out. Meanwhile, many personal and psychological characteristics help us to understand how consumers process external influences and make decisions at the consumer level. Finally, regarding purchasing behaviors, the use and adoption of technologies like e-commerce platforms have had a prominent place in consumer behavior during the pandemic.

The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the construction of a theoretical framework on consumer behavior and disruptive events. The method is explained in Section 3 . Section 4 presents the descriptive and co-occurrence bibliometric technique results of generating an understanding of the literature interrelationships and characteristics. Section 5 documents the systematization and grouping of the knowledge generated based on an input-process-output model of consumer behavior. Finally, Section 6 concludes with the main implications and scope for future research.

2. Consumer behavior and disruptive events

Many consumer and human behavior studies in the context of disruptive events precede the COVID-19 pandemic. The term “disruptive event” is a situation that leads to profound changes regarding the unit analyzed ( Dahlhamer and Tierney, 1998 ). Thus, it can apply to individual consumers, organizations, industries, or society. Disruptive events can also be classified by their nature (e.g., pandemic, war, natural disaster, and personal calamity).

At the personal level, prior studies establish that in the aftermath of calamities or unfavorable events, such as the death of loved ones, divorces, and illness, consumers get rid of products that remind them of difficult times and, thus, buy new products ( Cruz-Cárdenas and Arévalo-Chávez, 2018 ). Although such disruption studies are interesting, they fail to shed enough light on consumer behavior during the COVID-19 crisis. On a larger scale, past disruptive events—such as other pandemics, natural disasters, or extreme social violence and terrorism—can contribute to understanding the pandemic-induced consumer behavior, because they affect a greater number of consumers simultaneously and in similar fashion.

Natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and typhoons are frequent. They cause damage to infrastructure, economy, and human lives, thereby creating a permanent field of consumer behavior studies. Some natural disasters are carefully monitored, and their arrival and intensity can be anticipated (e.g., hurricanes). The anticipation of such events induces a behavior of stockpiling basic necessities ( Pan et al., 2020 ). Others cannot be anticipated in the short term (e.g., earthquakes). In both types of natural disasters, consumers may lose possessions and loved ones. The feeling of loss induces impulsive, therapeutic, and replacement purchases ( Delorme et al., 2004 ; Sneath et al., 2009 ). Natural disasters are primarily noted for their destructiveness and scope, which can reach regional levels.

Extreme social violence and so-called terrorism constitute another category of disruptive events affecting a country or region. Terrorism comprises violent actions by a group with less power that seeks to destabilize a government or a dominant organization ( Bates and LaBrecque, 2019 ). Such violent actions often impact human lives and negatively affect the economy and physical infrastructure. Moreover, their intensity and frequency in society are highly variable.

Although terrorist actions significantly affect the economy and infrastructure, the impact on consumer behavior is in the short term ( Baumert et al., 2020 ; Crawford, 2012 ), which induces an avoidant behavior, due to certain consumption options they consider to be of greater risk; that is, consumers choose an alternative option rather than give up their plans or consumption ( Herzenstein et al., 2015 ) (e.g., the choice between air and land travel or a destination change for tourism). The selection of consumption alternatives hinges on past events and anticipated threats ( Baumert et al., 2020 ).

Prior outbreaks from recent decades like SARS, Influenza A, and H1N1 present another type of disruptive event, which consumer behavior scholars have largely ignored ( Laato et al., 2020 ). Current knowledge on human behavior during disease outbreaks stems from other social and human sciences. Thus, two consumption-behavior types have been noted: purchasing necessities and protective equipment, and curbing leisure outside the home. For example, Goodwin et al. (2009) find that the purchase of protective items (e.g., masks and personal hygiene items) and food rose significantly during the influenza A, and H1N1 outbreaks, as people engaged in stockpiling. However, regarding SARS in China, Wen et al. (2005) found that people altered their leisure activities, modes of transportation, and the places they visited. Table 1 summarizes the features of prior disruptive events and the relevant knowledge regarding consumer behavior therein.

Disruptive events, their characteristics, and effects on the consumer.

The COVID-19 pandemic, like other prior disruptive events, has significantly impacted the economy and human life ( IMF, 2020 ; WHO, 2021a ). However, unlike natural disasters and terrorism, it (similar to prior disease outbreaks) does not damage physical infrastructure. Further, it is characterized by its persistence (the current pandemic has continued for a year and a half). Even so, the COVID-19 pandemic is unique in its global scope ( WHO, 2021b ). Moreover, it occurs within the context of significant technological advancement, known in the business and organizational world as “digital transformation” ( Abdel-Basset et al., 2021 ).

Against this comparison, prior to the systematic review, consumer behaviors reported in other disruptive events probably occurred on a large scale. However, the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and technological advancement is expected to provide a distinctive character to consumer behavior, caught between the unique confluences of the two.

This study was developed in a series of stages, common to systematic literature reviews ( Balaid et al., 2016 ; Cruz-Cárdenas and Arévalo-Chávez, 2018 : Osobajo and Moore, 2017 ) (see Fig. 1 ).

Fig. 1

Stages of this study.

3.1 Study objectives

Regarding Stage 1, this study primarily describes and systematizes the existing literature on consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. This objective can be broken down into three specific objectives. Thus, this study aims

  • • O1: To describe the characteristics and interrelationships of relevant studies
  • • O2: To generate a structured systematization of their contents and results
  • • O3: To establish the limitations and gaps in existing knowledge, thereby ascertaining the scope for future lines of research

Accordingly, recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of consumer behavior, researchers from marketing, business administration, psychology, and economics teamed up to bring together experts in diverse research methodologies, such as machine learning and big data techniques. The study commenced when COVID-19 became a pandemic in March 2020.

3.2 Criteria for inclusion of articles

The study developed several article-inclusion criteria. Importantly, studies must address COVID-19 only from the perspective of consumer behavior. Thus, it was important to differentiate consumer behavior from other types of human behavior in the COVID-19 framework. Consumer behavior encompasses people's behavior in their search, purchase, usage, and disposal of goods and services ( Schiffman and Wisenblit, 2015 ). Further, articles must have an acceptable quality level, be written only in English, and have no time restriction on the date of their publication.

3.3 Search strategies

The search strategies were then developed, operationalizing the inclusion criteria. The study drew from the Scopus database, which offers a good balance between quality and coverage ( Singh et al., 2020 ). The search terms aimed to extract two central contents simultaneously: the COVID-19 pandemic and consumer behavior. The search process was initiated with the following terms: Covid AND (consum* AND behav*). The asterisk in the terms allowed for including variants of the keywords such as: consumer, consumers, consumption behavior, and behavior. Additionally, the search scanned the titles, abstracts, and keywords of the documents.

As the search process progressed, other terms were added, because they were also used significantly by relevant articles; this was particularly important because there was no consensus regarding the name for the pandemic at its inception. Hence, regarding the pandemic, alternative terms included “Covid-19,” “Sars-Cov-2,” “Pandemic,” and “Coronavirus.” Similarly, regarding consumer behavior, “marketing,” “purchasing,” “shopping,” and “buying” were the alternative terms.

The search process involved reading the titles and abstracts of the outputs generated for an initial and main debugging. A second purification was then conducted. Among the biggest search challenges was that, although some articles addressed consumer behavior and included “Covid” or its synonyms in their titles, keywords, and abstracts, as well as their topic incorporation, they were unclear. The situation is attributed to a temporal coincidence with the COVID-19 crisis, rather than a deliberate intention of studying its effects on consumer behavior. From the start of the study to its culmination on January 5, 2021, 347 articles were reviewed, of which 70 relevant articles were selected after satisfying the inclusion and search criteria.

3.4 Method describing and systematizing the literature

The study employed various bibliometric and literature systematization techniques, to describe the characteristics and interrelationships of the 70 articles and systematize their content. Bibliometric techniques estimated the main descriptive statistics of the relevant body of knowledge. Further, a visual analysis of co-occurrence was performed.

The study used content analyses of the generated knowledge and findings to systematize the literature ( Kaur et al., 2021 ), seeking a knowledge organization structure. The search focused on identifying a widely accepted model of consumer behavior. Thus, the selected model was the input-process-output model of Schiffman and Wisenblit (2015) , modified by Cruz-Cárdenas and Arévalo-Chávez (2018) to apply to literature reviews on consumer behavior topics. This model is employed in empirical research (e.g., Ting et al., 2019 ).

Fig. 2 presents the generic model. The left of the model presents the external influences or stimuli, processed and interpreted as per the personal and psychological characteristics of the consumer at the center of the model. The consumer also follows a decision-making process. Finally, the right of the model yields the results or outputs: the purchase and post-purchase behaviors. Furthermore, this study incorporates arrows connecting macro-environmental to micro-environmental forces, marketing strategies, and the consumer. It highlights that the macro-environment spans the entire model ( Kotler and Keller, 2016 ).

Fig. 2

Generic model of consumer behavior. Adapted from Schiffman and Wisenblit (2015) and Cruz-Cárdenas and Arévalo-Chávez (2018) .

4. Descriptive and bibliometric analysis

4.1 descriptive analysis of relevant articles.

Table A.1 presents the 70 relevant articles, among which 57 were published in 2020; 12, 2021; and one, in press. Fig. 3 shows the number of articles per their methodology. Most articles (58 articles or 82.9%) employ quantitative empirical approximations, followed by studies with a theoretical approach (five articles or 7.1%). Notably, few studies employed qualitative or mixed methods (5.7% and 4.3%, respectively).

Fig. 3

Number of articles according to their methodology.

This marginal use is likely for the following reasons. First, societies and funders exert time constraints for fast and conclusive results. Second, there are many studies on consumer behavior and the adoption of technologies before the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, the rise in machine learning methods, particularly natural language processing, allows for processing significant textual social media data using artificial intelligence ( Géron, 2019 ).

Considering only the 65 empirical studies, Fig. 4 presents the main countries where data was collected. China has 15 articles (23.1%), followed by the US, with seven articles (10.8%), and Italy, five articles (7.7%). Next are India, Romania, the UK, and Vietnam, each with three articles (4.6%). Others attracted 15 articles (23.1), and 11 articles (16.9%) had several countries simultaneously as study settings, either because they deliberately chose several countries or studied social media. China's dominance as a study setting can be attributed to its status as the origin of the pandemic. However, it can also be attributed to China's rapid growth in the scientific field.

Fig. 4

Number of empirical articles according to their study setting.

Table 2 presents the journals in which the articles were published. Most articles appeared in three major journals: Sustainability had seven articles (10%), and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services each had five articles (7.1%), respectively. Notably, several journals not traditionally linked to consumer studies or marketing are represented, probably because of the multidisciplinary character of consumer studies ( Schiffman and Wisenblit, 2015 ).

Journals in which reviewed articles were published.

While the selected articles examined various products, food was the main preference in 29 articles (41.4%). Other products, studied to a lesser extent, included personal hygiene items, hotels, and the banking sector. Further, the studies widely employed two theories: the theory of planned behavior (TPB) ( Ajzen, 1991 ) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) ( Davis, 1989 ).

TPB stems from psychology, and it asserts that attitude toward behavior (personal view on behavior), subjective norm (perceived social pressure to act), and perceived behavioral control (difficulty in acting) determine the intention of a person to act out a behavior. This behavioral intention then determines whether the behavior occurs ( Ajzen, 1991 ). TAM stems from Information Technology and draws from TPB; it indicates that a user's acceptance of new technology is determined by the perceived usefulness and ease of use ( Davis, 1989 ). TPB and TAM are general theories that allow for much flexibility in application. The two theories and their many variants are widely used in consumer behavior research and, particularly, cases of a new product, service, and technology acceptance ( Lin and Chang, 2011 ; Schmidthuber et al., 2020 ).

Considering the prevalence of TPB and TAM, and their variants in consumer studies prior to COVID-19 (particularly regarding technologies) coupled with the massive popularity of technologies during the pandemic ( Baicu et al., 2020 : Sheth, 2020 ), the dominance of the two theories in this study is not surprising. Furthermore, they also explain the popularity of quantitative methods in the selected studies, and by specifying a set of directional relationships, they allow for testing the proposed models via structural equation modeling ( Kline, 2016 ). The studies reviewed largely model consumer purchasing behaviors in technological environments and include fear or concern about COVID-19 as an additional variable, either in an exogenous or moderating variable role.

4.2 Analysis of the co-occurrence

The study employed co-occurrence analysis to establish the topics of interest in the set of articles on COVID-19 and consumer behavior. The analysis was performed in two ways to obtain more reliable results: keyword-based and title- and abstract-based.

First, we sought to identify the clusters formed based on the co-occurrence of keywords in the set of articles ( Singh et al., 2020 ). We employed VOSviewer 1.6.15 ( VanEck and Waltman, 2010 ) for this analysis. VOSviewer suggests, by default, a minimum number of five occurrences for a term to be considered. However, we set this number to three, given the relatively small number of articles. Generic terms like “article” and “study” were removed during the data cleanup. Additionally, similar terms were grouped into a single term ( van Eck and Waltman, 2010 , 2020 ), such as “Covid-19,” “Covid,” and “pandemic.” Fig. 5 shows the obtained clusters. The nodes represent keywords or concepts, while their size corresponds with their frequency ( van Eck and Waltman, 2010 , 2020 ). VOSviewer represents each cluster of keywords or concepts with a different color.

Fig. 5

Co-occurrence network of articles based on keywords.

Cluster 1 (yellow) has “consumer behavior” as a prominent node and groups together other keywords such as “social distance,” “social media,” and “electronic commerce.” Thus, the cluster is related to purchasing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is strongly marked by technology use. Cluster 2 (green) has the term “COVID-19″ as its central node. It gathers terms such as “public health,” “food waste,” “food consumption,” “sustainability,” and “panic buying.” Hence, this cluster regards the consumption and handling of food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cluster 3 (blue) has no central node. However, “fear,” “decision making,” and “purchasing” suggest a cluster focused on the purchase decision process. Finally, Cluster 4 (red), while without a prominent node, is the most prevalent. Terms such as “materialism,” “adult,” “attitude,” and “psychology,” “government,” and “economics” suggest that this cluster is mainly about macro, micro, and internal influences on the consumer.

Further, to allow for greater context richness, the second analysis was based on the titles and abstracts of selected articles ( VanEck and Waltman, 2010 ). Similar to the procedure based on keywords and with the same criteria, the minimum number of occurrences of words was set to three. The data was also cleaned by elimination or grouping ( VanEck and Waltman, 2010 ). For example, generic or irrelevant words, such as “article,” “item,” “author,” and “study,” were eliminated. However, similar terms were grouped together, as in the case of “covid,” “covid-19,” and “pandemic.” Fig. 6 shows the results of the co-occurrence analysis based on titles and abstracts.

Fig. 6

Co-occurrence network of articles based on titles and abstracts.

The analysis generated four clusters. Cluster 1 (red) had “consumer behavior” as a prominent node and included other terms like “risk perception,” “threat,” “panic buying,” “impulsive buying,” and “China.” Thus, this cluster is related to consumer panic buying. Cluster 2 (green) had as prominent nodes “service,” “emergency,” “purchasing,” and technology-related actions, such as “online shopping,” “e-commerce,” and “internet.” Hence, it regards consumer behavior and the use of technology in purchases. Cluster 3 (blue) featured “food” as a prominent node and included other terms like “stockpiling,” “covid lockdown,” “covid outbreak,” and “policymaker.” Therefore, this cluster focused on consumer behavior in the purchase and handling of food under lockdown conditions. Cluster 4 (yellow) did not have particularly prominent nodes. It included customer,” “infection,” “policy,” “home,” “uncertainty,” “business,” and “reduction,” showing that this cluster refers to the consumer subject to macro, micro, and internal influences.

The analysis of co-occurrence of keywords is similar to that of titles and abstracts in the dominance of the reviewed studies on Covid-19 and consumer behavior, thus increasing the confidence in the results. Accordingly, three fundamental areas can be identified: consumer behavior and technology use; purchasing and handling basic necessities, particularly food; and consumer subject to internal and external (micro and macro) forces. A possible fourth area may induce a discrepancy, putting the keyword analysis emphasis on the decision-making process and the analysis of titles and abstracts in panic purchases.

5. Systematization of the relevant literature

This section presents the analysis and systematization of the 70 relevant studies. The authors used content analysis techniques to identify the main findings from the literature ( Kaur et al., 2021 ). The relevant content is organized using the structure of the consumer behavior model in Fig. 2 .

5.1 Macro-environmental factors

Macro-environmental factors affect the entire analytical micro-environment ( Kotler and Keller, 2016 ). In this study, the micro-environment is built around the consumer, the center of the analysis. The consumer micro-environment is formed by organizations and groups of people close to the consumer (e.g., companies, the media, family, and friends).

Regarding COVID-19 and consumer behavior, five macro forces are fundamental: the COVID-19 pandemic and the technological, political-legal, economic, and socio-cultural environments. High importance is attached to COVID-19, the technological environment, and the politico-legal environment. Various studies indicate how the COVID-19 and available technology confluence has induced consumers to massively and rapidly adopt technologies and increase their consumption of highly digital business formats ( Baicu et al., 2020 : Sheth, 2020 ). Specifically, e-commerce and business platform formats solved possible shortage problems and allowed consumers to accumulate products ( Hao et al., 2020 ; Pillai et al., 2020 ). Further, the technology allowed social lives to thrive amidst the pandemic, reflecting the increased use of social media platforms ( Pillai et al., 2020 ).

The political-legal environment is strongly intertwined with economic performance. Significant legal regulations by many governments were enforced during quarantines, lockdowns, social distancing, and educational service closure ( Yoo and Managi, 2020 ). However, not all governments resorted to lockdown measures. Regardless, economies fell in many areas because of consumer decisions ( Sheridan et al., 2020 ). However, food and hygiene item purchases increased. In non-lockdown (lockdown) countries, consumers were guided by caution (anxiety and fear were) ( Anastasiadou et al., 2020 ; Prentice et al., 2020 ).

Another very important aspect derived from the political-legal environment is trust in government institutions. Increased confidence in governments and their actions made consumers less likely to experience fear of food shortages and engage in panic buying ( Dammeyer, 2020 ; Jeżewska-Zychowicz et al., 2020 ). Effective public announcements moderated the effects of negative feelings, such as anxiety and a sense of losing control in terms of panic buying ( Barnes et al., 2021 ).

A diagnosis of the state of knowledge on macro-environmental factors allows for seeing a significant amount of research on political-legal and technological factors. However, the COVID-19 crisis is dynamic. Currently, many governments have halted lockdown measures, betting more on social distancing as a new mass vaccination phase emerges, which is worthy of exploration. Further, few studies address cultural issues during the COVID-19 crisis, even though culture is another determining force in consumer behavior.

5.2 Micro-environmental factors

As noted, the political-legal macro-environment of the COVID-19 pandemic is marked by lockdown and social distancing measures, while the digital transformation process marks the technological macro-environment. A logical consequence of their interaction is that the micro-environment (family, friends, acquaintances, society, the media, and companies) interacts with consumers through technology and digital media. Section 5.3 will discuss consumer interaction with businesses and companies.

During the COVID-19 crisis, consumers use information as a valuable factor in decision-making, as they actively or passively seek it. Social media is a common source of information. Popular topics regard food acquisition and storage, health issues, social distancing, and economic issues ( Laguna et al., 2020 ). However, social media also induces panic buying, especially during lockdowns. Advice from associates, product shortage perceptions, the COVID-19 spread, official announcements, and global news inspired this behavior ( Ahmend et al., 2020 ; Grashuis et al., 2020 ; (Jeżewska-Zychowicz et al., 2020) ; Naeem, 2021a ). Further, the news, social media, and associates also influence technology use in purchases on company pages, platforms, or apps ( Koch et al., 2020 ; Troise et al., 2021 ).

Therefore, despite contributing to panic buying, the mainstream news media and social media have also curbed the spread of COVID-19 ( Liu et al., 2021 ). The extensive knowledge on the micro-environmental effects on consumer behavior was generated primarily due to previous non-relevant studies that focused on social media; they created a solid base of departure.

5.3 Marketing strategies and influences

Marketing influences are in the consumer's micro-environment. They are vital, because they are tools that companies can design and control. Thus, consumer behavior models usually consider them separately from other influences, such as those discussed in the preceding section. The main marketing tool is the product or service. Others are prices, distribution, and communication strategies.

Two key elements of marketing strategies during the pandemic are reducing various risks and increasing benefits perceived by the consumer. Two central risks marketing strategies must address are the risks of coinfection and conducting online transactions. Further, the reviewed studies address the forms of action regarding the two types of risks. Thus, while the perceived COVID-19 risk increases the probability of online purchases, the perceived risk of online purchases moderates this relationship ( Gao et al., 2020 ).

Accordingly, using technology to digitize processes or products, and reduce physical contact with employees or other consumers, has encouraged consumer purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, technology that allows consumers to make reservations via smartphones or kiosks reduces the perceived health risk, thereby increasing the probability of hotel reservations ( Shin and Kang, 2020 ). Moreover, state-of-the-art cleaning technology moderates the negative effect of staff interaction on service use intentions ( Shin and Kang, 2020 ). Thus, technology guarantees cleanliness and minimal contact for the consumer. Further, the perceived risk of online transactions involves the possible misuse of personal information and financial fraud ( Tran, 2021 ). Marketing strategies to reduce this risk have focused on building trust and image ( Lv et al., 2020 ; Troise et al., 2021 ). Regarding the strategy duration, other recommended marketing strategies for e-commerce sites and platforms with less renown are increasing profits or reducing prices ( Lv et al., 2020 ; Tran, 2021 ).

During the lockdowns in most countries, consumer demand centered on food products, personal hygiene, and disinfection. Thus, implementing or increasing promotions of non-priority items is a recommended strategy ( Anastasiadou et al., 2020 ). Finally, regarding small businesses that use technology less intensively, the speed of adaptation and digital transformation are vital, even at basic levels. Many small businesses have survived by adopting elementary digital transformation strategies in the form of a mix of social media sales and home delivery services ( Butu et al., 2020 ).

Hence, although there are interesting results, the transcendental importance of studies on marketing strategies within the framework of consumer studies deserves more research. Further, since the pandemic is dynamic, companies must adapt their strategies constantly. Notably, few studies employ case studies or experimental methodologies, which are appropriate for studying the effects of marketing strategies.

5.4 Personal and psychological characteristics and decision-making

Most of the reviewed studies stemmed from this area. The personal characteristics of consumers (e.g., age, gender, income, and educational level) and their psychological characteristics (e.g., motivation, perception, and attitudes) determine how they interpret stimuli ( Schiffman and Wisenblit, 2015 ).

For instance, many studies address gender. There is no consensus about which gender makes the most panic purchases. A study carried from Brazil reports that men tend to make the most panic purchases ( Lins and Aquino, 2020 ), while a study in China ( Wang et al., 2020a ) attributes this behavior to women. However, another study in several European countries found gender differences irrelevant in the tendency to make extra purchases ( Dammeyer, 2020 ). The inconsistency may be attributable to cultural issues; however, the methodology may also have a bearing on the conflicting results. For example, while the study by Lins and Aquino (2020) asked respondents about purchasing products in general, Wang et al. (2020a) focused on food, and Dammeyer (2020) on food, medicine, and hygiene items. The same discrepancy in gender issues and panic purchases extends to the age variable. Some studies found that age is negatively related to the tendency to panic buy ( Lins and Aquino, 2020 ), while other studies found no relationship at all (e.g., Dammeyer, 2020 ).

Many studies also examine the pandemic-induced negative psychological states and feelings. The perceived risk and information overload regarding COVID-19, led to sadness, anxiety, and cognitive dissonance ( Song et al., 2020b ). The perceived severity of the pandemic leads to self-isolation ( Laato et al., 2020 ). The negative psychological states that the consumer experiences, are associated with hoarding behavior. Excessive concern regarding health leads to excessive purchasing and stockpiling of food and hygiene items ( Laato et al., 2020 ). While negative emotions encourage excessive purchases, particularly the purchasing of necessities, they also discourage them from consuming services that involve contact. For example, the fear of contracting COVID-19 has been central to avoiding air transport during the pandemic ( Lamb et al., 2020 ).

Consumer personality traits were also critical to understanding consumer behavior during the COVID-19 crisis. Extraversion (conscientiousness) and neuroticism (openness to experience) were positively (negatively) associated with extra purchases ( Dammeyer, 2020 ). Another personality trait, such as agreeableness (sympathetic or considerate), led to the renunciation of consumption. Consumers with high scores on this trait gave up consumption that could negatively affect third parties ( Lamb et al., 2020 ).

The pandemic has also encouraged favorable attitudes among consumers, be they pro-environmental or pro-health attitudes. The fear of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it brings has a positive effect on people's pro-environmental attitudes, which, in turn, increase trust in green brands ( Jian et al., 2020 ). However, while consumers gave less importance to the nutritional value of food during the first months of the crisis ( Ellison et al., 2021 ), there was an increase in health awareness in later months ( Čvirik, 2020 ).

Despite great interest in consumers’ personal and psychological processes, the purchase decision-making process garnered less attention. Studies note three types of decision-making processes: impulse (e.g., Ahmed et al., 2020 ; Islam et al., 2020 ), panic (e.g., Prentice et al., 2020 ), and rational ( Wang and Hao, 2020 ) purchases.

In summary, consumer behavior, as it relates to consumers’ personal and psychological characteristics, has been widely studied, especially in its relationship with the first phases of COVID-19, characterized by lockdown and social distancing. The broad base of prior knowledge on consumer psychology and the adoption and use of technologies facilitates such studies. Here too, given the dynamic pandemic and its entry into new stages involving vaccination and social distancing, future studies must extend the discussion on personal and psychological processes. In addition, more research should be conducted on purchase decision-making processes during the COVID-19 crisis.

5.5 Purchasing behaviors

In consumer behavior models, purchasing behavior is the output of the model. This output is generated by selecting products and places or points of purchase. During the pandemic, these two behaviors were central to consumers’ strategies to ensure their own well-being.

The imposition lockdowns led to an increase in the purchase of food, beverages, hygiene items, and medicines, inducing frequent stockpiling. This behavior occurred before and during the measures and has been widely confirmed worldwide (e.g., Antonides and van Leeuwen, 2020 ; Prentice et al., 2020 ; Seiler, 2020 ;). After the lockdown and the transition to social distancing, moderate stockpiling may be expected ( Anastasiadou et al., 2020 ). Meanwhile, the consumption of goods and services in industries such as entertainment, dining, travel, and tourism decreased ( Antonides and van Leeuwen, 2020 ; Ellison et al., 2021 ; Seiler, 2020 ; Skare et al., 2021 ). Another essential aspect is the selection of the purchase method. Various purchase methods were implemented to reduce the risk of infection, among which consumers favored online purchases while making changes in their selection of physical retailers.

The lockdown and later, social distancing, inspired many consumers to rapidly adopt purchasing behaviors mediated by technology (e.g., online shopping) ( Butu et al., 2020 ), creating an “online awareness” among populations ( Zwanka and Buff, 2020 ). A digital means of purchase was extended to categories which did not have a strong online presence previously. Thus, online purchases of food, beverages, and cleaning supplies grew ( Antoides and van Leeuwen, 2020 ; Ellison et al., 2020; Hassen et al., 2020 ; Li et al., 2020b ; Wang et al., 2020b ). However, there was also an increase in the use of technology for entertainment. For example, there has been an increase in users and streaming hours on services such as Netflix and Spotify ( Madnani et al., 2020 ). Another change in consumer purchasing behavior regarded the physical point of sale. This change occurred as consumers aimed to decrease the number of trips they made to physical stores (purchase frequency) ( Laguna et al., 2020 ; Principato et al., 2020 , in press; Wang et al., 2020a ). In some countries and cities, consumers stopped buying from large retailers and places that could be crowded, preferring small local retailers instead ( Li et al., 2020b ).

Hence, there is a solid global consolidation of technology in purchasing (i.e., online shopping) and the strengthening of small local retailers. Given the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 crisis, future studies can evaluate the changes in the next stages of the pandemic.

5.6 Post-purchase behavior

Another key behavior is disposal, of which results are very interesting. During the lockdown, there is less food waste, more likely for future supply than ecological reasons ( Amicarelli and Bux, 2021 ; Jribi et al., 2020 ). However, dire health precautions increased the usage of disposable protective items, and more electronic commerce transactions increased waste created by packaging material ( Vanapalli et al., 2021 ). Thus, from a social and environmental perspective, the effects of the pandemic on product waste are mixed.

Future studies can examine product disposition and the new stages of the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, consumer satisfaction with purchases has garnered less attention in the literature. Fig. 7 presents the model of consumer behavior during the COVID-19 crisis, summarizing the systematization of the literature.

Fig. 7

Model of consumer behavior during the COVID-19 crisis.

5.7 Consumer behavior model under COVID-19: the near future

This subsection seeks to use the model ( Figs. 2 and ​ and7) 7 ) to anticipate consumer behaviors, given the ongoing, dynamic development of the pandemic ( WHO, 2021b ). Accordingly, the crisis thus far has induced intense consumer learning, particularly in the use of technologies (personal and psychological factors). Moreover, although technologies can satisfy both hedonic and utilitarian needs ( Cruz-Cárdenas et al., 2021 ), some consumer needs remain unsatisfied, particularly social needs (personal and psychological factors) ( Sheth, 2020 ). However, public vaccination campaigns (macro-environmental factor) and their protective effects on the population can reduce people's fear and avoidance behavior regarding certain products and services (personal and psychological factors). Further, consumers can have a greater range of consumption options (decision-making process), given their decreased fear, and due to the relaxation of restrictions on mobility and the congregation of people (macro-environmental factor). However, the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic (macro-environmental factor) will not be a linear process, given the appearance of new waves of infections and strains ( WHO, 2021b ).

Therefore, the new consumer behavior (output or results) will not embark on a gradual return to pre-pandemic conditions. Rather, consumer learning about technologies, attenuated avoidance behavior, and unsatisfied needs mark consumer practices that tend to combine pre-COVID-19 behaviors (some intensified by the level of unsatisfied needs) with new technology-based behaviors (e.g., use of electronic banking, e-learning, e-commerce, and social media). However, this combination of old and new consumer behaviors will likely be dynamic (in varying proportions) and creative, as consumers will have to go through new stages of the pandemic marked by uncertainty.

6. Discussion, implications, and limitations

6.1 the covid-19 pandemic versus other disruptive events: differences and similarities in their nature and consumer behavior.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the context of disruptive events affecting humanity shares traits with other disruptive events and has unique characteristics. Like any disruptive event, it has profoundly impacted societies ( Dahlhamer and Tierney, 1998 ). Among its unique characteristics are its truly global scope and occurrence within the context of the “digital transformation” technological advancement ( Abdel-Basset et al., 2021 ).

Regarding consumer behavior, comparing the study findings to behaviors observed in other disruptive events yield interesting conclusions. Impulsive and panic buying seems to be common to all disruptive events. Therapeutic purchases seem to be more linked to natural disasters, where physical possessions suffer damages. The avoidance behavior of certain products and services appears to be more linked to terrorism and pandemics. However, despite these similarities, the role of technology in shopping has induced a unique consumer behavior under COVID-19. Indeed, technology has been transversal to the different consumer behaviors under COVID-19.

Consumer behavior and COVID-19 studies are characterized by three thematic areas: consumer behavior and technology use; purchase and handling of essential, hygiene, and protective products; and internal and external influences on consumers. Notably, the current pandemic is an ongoing event that follows a non-linear trajectory (WHO, 221b). Hence, the study priorities will surely change, marked by the new stages of the pandemic. For example, in light of the vaccination campaigns, the interest of future studies in the purchase and handling of basic necessities and protection products will decline. Further, given the decreased avoidance behavior, interest in the study of fun and leisure behaviors will increase. However, the use of technologies in consumption will remain at a high profile throughout the pandemic.

6.2 The nature of consumer behavior studies under the COVID-19 pandemic

Studies examining consumer behavior under the COVID-19 pandemic exhibit unique characteristics. Prior studies on consumer behavior and other disruptive events had a significant presence of qualitative studies, given their ability to explore and thoroughly understand how certain phenomena profoundly affect people's lives ( Delorme et al., 2004 ). However, in studies on consumer behavior and COVID-19, their presence is modest, where quantitative studies dominate.

Various factors can explain the preeminence of quantitative studies; however, this subsection addresses the key factor of technology. Specifically, the confluence of intensive use of technologies by consumers during COVID-19, and the body of knowledge accumulated before the pandemic on consumer behavior and the use and adoption of technologies. Hence, this body of knowledge created a solid foundation for quantitatively oriented consumer studies. However, the existing knowledge about consumer behavior and disruptive events did not provide a solid foundation since its extension is rather modest. ( Laato et al., 2020 ).

6.3 Reassessment of pre-COVID-19 knowledge on key topics of consumer behavior and recommendation for future studies

A crucial consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is the massive rise in the learning and use of technologies ( Baicu et al., 2020 : Sheth, 2020 ), which is unprecedented considering the global scale of the pandemic and its sustained duration. This massive and extensive learning of the use of technologies will have consequences in the validity of knowledge developed before the pandemic in key consumer behavior topics and technology use. Although there are various topics, this subsection will focus on two: Consumer segments in the use of technologies and the digital divide.

Before the pandemic, many studies in different countries apply various scales, including the technology readiness index scale ( Parasuraman and Colby, 2015 ), to gage consumer segments in technology markets. The studies yielded strong results on consumer segments and their sizes. Thus, considering the rapid adoption of technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, an obvious question is how current this knowledge is. Hence, future studies can determine how the COVID-19 pandemic reconfigured consumer segments in the use of technologies, how they changed regarding their importance, and whether a revision of existing measuring instruments (scales) is necessary.

Moreover, the digital divide (i.e., the gaps in the access and use of technologies between different societal sectors) has also been extensively studied before COVID-19. For example, older and lower-income people used technology-based services to a much lesser degree ( Cruz-Cárdenas et al., 2019 ). The information is useful to design profitable and social marketing strategies. However, the pandemic-induced massive learning of technologies may leave out a part of society. Ultimately, future studies can focus on determining what happened to the digital gaps between social groups as an effect of the pandemic.

6.4 COVID-19 and the future: recommendations for practice and future studies

The review and systematization of the literature leave important recommendations for firms and organizations. Primarily, firms must incorporate rapid digital transformation in their processes. For example, although social media was already significant in societies before the COVID-19 crisis, its role has now been enhanced ( Naeem, 2021b ). The most diverse companies can find a profitable channel of communication and promotion in social networks. Smaller companies can utilize social media to sell products coupled with home delivery ( Butu et al., 2020 ), thereby beginning their digital transformation process. For larger companies, digital social networks can help build communities around their brands, especially during times of uncertainty and increased user traffic.

Second, companies and businesses must consider how to address the risk perceived by consumers. This risk has been articulated as two fundamental types: the risks of infection, and fraud and misuse of data in e-commerce transactions. The perceived risk of infection is expected to diminish with massive vaccination campaigns ( Shin and Kang, 2020 ). However, companies can address the perceived risk of fraud in online transactions via security protocols, incorporation and combination of technologies, and communication and promotion tools. In the latter, the best strategy will be to use the business image to generate consumer confidence ( Troise et al., 2021 ; Lv et al., 2020 ). Further, for an undecided consumer regarding online transactions, promotions aimed at reducing prices and increasing benefits proved useful during the pandemic ( Lv et al., 2020 ; Tran, 2021 ).

Finally, given the non-linear and uncertain trajectory of the pandemic, consumer behavior across the stages of the pandemic is a dynamic combination of old and new behaviors, highlighting the necessity for companies to incorporate flexibility and agility into their culture and operations, and fully align with digital transformation initiatives.

6.5 Limitations

This study has some limitations. Though the article search was performed in the Scopus database, which presents a good balance between quality and coverage ( Singh et al., 2020 ), several articles were not captured in the Scopus index, which could indicate that their quality is heterogeneous. However, this decision was necessary to systematize the literature in a reasonable amount of time.

Author statement

Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas: Writing

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing. Ekaterina Zabelina: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Visualization. Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas: Resources, Investigation. Andrés Palacio-Fierro: Resources, Investigation. Carlos Ramos-Galarza: Methodology, Formal analysis, Visualization.

Biographies

Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas is a senior lecturer at the School of Administrative and Economic Sciences and a researcher at the ESTec Research Center, both at Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ecuador. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Business Management from the University of Alcalá, Spain. His-main research area is consumer behavior in technological environments.

Ekaterina Zabelina is an associate professor at the Department of Psychology of Chelyabinsk State University, Russia. Her main research areas include economic psychology, positive psychology, organizational psychology, and behavioral Science.

Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Picardie Jules Vernes D'amiens in France. He currently serves as Director of ESTec Research Center at Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ecuador. His-fields of interest include macroeconomic theory, econometric modeling, and experimental economics.

Andrés Palacio-Fierro is a senior lecturer at the School of Administrative and Economic Sciences of Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ecuador, and a researcher at the ESTec Research Center. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at the Camilo José Cela University in Spain. His-research interests are related to topics of consumer behavior.

Carlos Ramos-Galarza is a senior lecturer at the School of Psychology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and a researcher at Mist Research Center. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Concepción, Chile. His-main research topics revolve around psychometry and human-technology interaction.

Supplementary material associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121179 .

Appendix: Articles included in the review according to the study setting

[I nsert Table A.1 here ]

Reviewed articles.

Appendix B. Supplementary materials

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The past, present, and future of consumer research

  • Published: 13 June 2020
  • Volume 31 , pages 137–149, ( 2020 )

Cite this article

  • Maayan S. Malter   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0383-7925 1 ,
  • Morris B. Holbrook 1 ,
  • Barbara E. Kahn 2 ,
  • Jeffrey R. Parker 3 &
  • Donald R. Lehmann 1  

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In this article, we document the evolution of research trends (concepts, methods, and aims) within the field of consumer behavior, from the time of its early development to the present day, as a multidisciplinary area of research within marketing. We describe current changes in retailing and real-world consumption and offer suggestions on how to use observations of consumption phenomena to generate new and interesting consumer behavior research questions. Consumption continues to change with technological advancements and shifts in consumers’ values and goals. We cannot know the exact shape of things to come, but we polled a sample of leading scholars and summarize their predictions on where the field may be headed in the next twenty years.

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1 Introduction

Beginning in the late 1950s, business schools shifted from descriptive and practitioner-focused studies to more theoretically driven and academically rigorous research (Dahl et al. 1959 ). As the field expanded from an applied form of economics to embrace theories and methodologies from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and statistics, there was an increased emphasis on understanding the thoughts, desires, and experiences of individual consumers. For academic marketing, this meant that research not only focused on the decisions and strategies of marketing managers but also on the decisions and thought processes on the other side of the market—customers.

Since then, the academic study of consumer behavior has evolved and incorporated concepts and methods, not only from marketing at large but also from related social science disciplines, and from the ever-changing landscape of real-world consumption behavior. Its position as an area of study within a larger discipline that comprises researchers from diverse theoretical backgrounds and methodological training has stirred debates over its identity. One article describes consumer behavior as a multidisciplinary subdiscipline of marketing “characterized by the study of people operating in a consumer role involving acquisition, consumption, and disposition of marketplace products, services, and experiences” (MacInnis and Folkes 2009 , p. 900).

This article reviews the evolution of the field of consumer behavior over the past half century, describes its current status, and predicts how it may evolve over the next twenty years. Our review is by no means a comprehensive history of the field (see Schumann et al. 2008 ; Rapp and Hill 2015 ; Wang et al. 2015 ; Wilkie and Moore 2003 , to name a few) but rather focuses on a few key thematic developments. Though we observe many major shifts during this period, certain questions and debates have persisted: Does consumer behavior research need to be relevant to marketing managers or is there intrinsic value from studying the consumer as a project pursued for its own sake? What counts as consumption: only consumption from traditional marketplace transactions or also consumption in a broader sense of non-marketplace interactions? Which are the most appropriate theoretical traditions and methodological tools for addressing questions in consumer behavior research?

2 A brief history of consumer research over the past sixty years—1960 to 2020

In 1969, the Association for Consumer Research was founded and a yearly conference to share marketing research specifically from the consumer’s perspective was instituted. This event marked the culmination of the growing interest in the topic by formalizing it as an area of research within marketing (consumer psychology had become a formalized branch of psychology within the APA in 1960). So, what was consumer behavior before 1969? Scanning current consumer-behavior doctoral seminar syllabi reveals few works predating 1969, with most of those coming from psychology and economics, namely Herbert Simon’s A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice (1955), Abraham Maslow’s A Theory of Human Motivation (1943), and Ernest Dichter’s Handbook of Consumer Motivations (1964). In short, research that illuminated and informed our understanding of consumer behavior prior to 1969 rarely focused on marketing-specific topics, much less consumers or consumption (Dichter’s handbook being a notable exception). Yet, these works were crucial to the rise of consumer behavior research because, in the decades after 1969, there was a shift within academic marketing to thinking about research from a behavioral or decision science perspective (Wilkie and Moore 2003 ). The following section details some ways in which this shift occurred. We draw on a framework proposed by the philosopher Larry Laudan ( 1986 ), who distinguished among three inter-related aspects of scientific inquiry—namely, concepts (the relevant ideas, theories, hypotheses, and constructs); methods (the techniques employed to test and validate these concepts); and aims (the purposes or goals that motivate the investigation).

2.1 Key concepts in the late - 1960s

During the late-1960s, we tended to view the buyer as a computer-like machine for processing information according to various formal rules that embody economic rationality to form a preference for one or another option in order to arrive at a purchase decision. This view tended to manifest itself in a couple of conspicuous ways. The first was a model of buyer behavior introduced by John Howard in 1963 in the second edition of his marketing textbook and quickly adopted by virtually every theorist working in our field—including, Howard and Sheth (of course), Engel-Kollat-&-Blackwell, Franco Nicosia, Alan Andreasen, Jim Bettman, and Joel Cohen. Howard’s great innovation—which he based on a scheme that he had found in the work of Plato (namely, the linkages among Cognition, Affect, and Conation)—took the form of a boxes-and-arrows formulation heavily influenced by the approach to organizational behavior theory that Howard (University of Pittsburgh) had picked up from Herbert Simon (Carnegie Melon University). The model represented a chain of events

where I = inputs of information (from advertising, word-of-mouth, brand features, etc.); C = cognitions (beliefs or perceptions about a brand); A = Affect (liking or preference for the brand); B = behavior (purchase of the brand); and S = satisfaction (post-purchase evaluation of the brand that feeds back onto earlier stages of the sequence, according to a learning model in which reinforced behavior tends to be repeated). This formulation lay at the heart of Howard’s work, which he updated, elaborated on, and streamlined over the remainder of his career. Importantly, it informed virtually every buyer-behavior model that blossomed forth during the last half of the twentieth century.

To represent the link between cognitions and affect, buyer-behavior researchers used various forms of the multi-attribute attitude model (MAAM), originally proposed by psychologists such as Fishbein and Rosenberg as part of what Fishbein and Ajzen ( 1975 ) called the theory of reasoned action. Under MAAM, cognitions (beliefs about brand attributes) are weighted by their importance and summed to create an explanation or prediction of affect (liking for a brand or preference for one brand versus another), which in turn determines behavior (choice of a brand or intention to purchase a brand). This took the work of economist Kelvin Lancaster (with whom Howard interacted), which assumed attitude was based on objective attributes, and extended it to include subjective ones (Lancaster 1966 ; Ratchford 1975 ). Overall, the set of concepts that prevailed in the late-1960s assumed the buyer exhibited economic rationality and acted as a computer-like information-processing machine when making purchase decisions.

2.2 Favored methods in the late-1960s

The methods favored during the late-1960s tended to be almost exclusively neo-positivistic in nature. That is, buyer-behavior research adopted the kinds of methodological rigor that we associate with the physical sciences and the hypothetico-deductive approaches advocated by the neo-positivistic philosophers of science.

Thus, the accepted approaches tended to be either experimental or survey based. For example, numerous laboratory studies tested variations of the MAAM and focused on questions about how to measure beliefs, how to weight the beliefs, how to combine the weighted beliefs, and so forth (e.g., Beckwith and Lehmann 1973 ). Here again, these assumed a rational economic decision-maker who processed information something like a computer.

Seeking rigor, buyer-behavior studies tended to be quantitative in their analyses, employing multivariate statistics, structural equation models, multidimensional scaling, conjoint analysis, and other mathematically sophisticated techniques. For example, various attempts to test the ICABS formulation developed simultaneous (now called structural) equation models such as those deployed by Farley and Ring ( 1970 , 1974 ) to test the Howard and Sheth ( 1969 ) model and by Beckwith and Lehmann ( 1973 ) to measure halo effects.

2.3 Aims in the late-1960s

During this time period, buyer-behavior research was still considered a subdivision of marketing research, the purpose of which was to provide insights useful to marketing managers in making strategic decisions. Essentially, every paper concluded with a section on “Implications for Marketing Managers.” Authors who failed to conform to this expectation could generally count on having their work rejected by leading journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research ( JMR ) and the Journal of Marketing ( JM ).

2.4 Summary—the three R’s in the late-1960s

Starting in the late-1960s to the early-1980s, virtually every buyer-behavior researcher followed the traditional approach to concepts, methods, and aims, now encapsulated under what we might call the three R’s —namely, rationality , rigor , and relevance . However, as we transitioned into the 1980s and beyond, that changed as some (though by no means all) consumer researchers began to expand their approaches and to evolve different perspectives.

2.5 Concepts after 1980

In some circles, the traditional emphasis on the buyer’s rationality—that is, a view of the buyer as a rational-economic, decision-oriented, information-processing, computer-like machine for making choices—began to evolve in at least two primary ways.

First, behavioral economics (originally studied in marketing under the label Behavioral Decision Theory)—developed in psychology by Kahneman and Tversky, in economics by Thaler, and applied in marketing by a number of forward-thinking theorists (e.g., Eric Johnson, Jim Bettman, John Payne, Itamar Simonson, Jay Russo, Joel Huber, and more recently, Dan Ariely)—challenged the rationality of consumers as decision-makers. It was shown that numerous commonly used decision heuristics depart from rational choice and are exceptions to the traditional assumptions of economic rationality. This trend shed light on understanding consumer financial decision-making (Prelec and Loewenstein 1998 ; Gourville 1998 ; Lynch Jr 2011 ) and how to develop “nudges” to help consumers make better decisions for their personal finances (summarized in Johnson et al. 2012 ).

Second, the emerging experiential view (anticipated by Alderson, Levy, and others; developed by Holbrook and Hirschman, and embellished by Schmitt, Pine, and Gilmore, and countless followers) regarded consumers as flesh-and-blood human beings (rather than as information-processing computer-like machines), focused on hedonic aspects of consumption, and expanded the concepts embodied by ICABS (Table 1 ).

2.6 Methods after 1980

The two burgeoning areas of research—behavioral economics and experiential theories—differed in their methodological approaches. The former relied on controlled randomized experiments with a focus on decision strategies and behavioral outcomes. For example, experiments tested the process by which consumers evaluate options using information display boards and “Mouselab” matrices of aspects and attributes (Payne et al. 1988 ). This school of thought also focused on behavioral dependent measures, such as choice (Huber et al. 1982 ; Simonson 1989 ; Iyengar and Lepper 2000 ).

The latter was influenced by post-positivistic philosophers of science—such as Thomas Kuhn, Paul Feyerabend, and Richard Rorty—and approaches expanded to include various qualitative techniques (interpretive, ethnographic, humanistic, and even introspective methods) not previously prominent in the field of consumer research. These included:

Interpretive approaches —such as those drawing on semiotics and hermeneutics—in an effort to gain a richer understanding of the symbolic meanings involved in consumption experiences;

Ethnographic approaches — borrowed from cultural anthropology—such as those illustrated by the influential Consumer Behavior Odyssey (Belk et al. 1989 ) and its discoveries about phenomena related to sacred aspects of consumption or the deep meanings of collections and other possessions;

Humanistic approaches —such as those borrowed from cultural studies or from literary criticism and more recently gathered together under the general heading of consumer culture theory ( CCT );

Introspective or autoethnographic approaches —such as those associated with a method called subjective personal introspection ( SPI ) that various consumer researchers like Sidney Levy and Steve Gould have pursued to gain insights based on their own private lives.

These qualitative approaches tended not to appear in the more traditional journals such as the Journal of Marketing , Journal of Marketing Research , or Marketing Science . However, newer journals such as Consumption, Markets, & Culture and Marketing Theory began to publish papers that drew on the various interpretive, ethnographic, humanistic, or introspective methods.

2.7 Aims after 1980

In 1974, consumer research finally got its own journal with the launch of the Journal of Consumer Research ( JCR ). The early editors of JCR —especially Bob Ferber, Hal Kassarjian, and Jim Bettman—held a rather divergent attitude about the importance or even the desirability of managerial relevance as a key goal of consumer studies. Under their influence, some researchers began to believe that consumer behavior is a phenomenon worthy of study in its own right—purely for the purpose of understanding it better. The journal incorporated articles from an array of methodologies: quantitative (both secondary data analysis and experimental techniques) and qualitative. The “right” balance between theoretical insight and substantive relevance—which are not in inherent conflict—is a matter of debate to this day and will likely continue to be debated well into the future.

2.8 Summary—the three I’s after 1980

In sum, beginning in the early-1980s, consumer research branched out. Much of the work in consumer studies remained within the earlier tradition of the three R’s—that is, rationality (an information-processing decision-oriented buyer), rigor (neo-positivistic experimental designs and quantitative techniques), and relevance (usefulness to marketing managers). Nonetheless, many studies embraced enlarged views of the three major aspects that might be called the three I’s —that is, irrationality (broadened perspectives that incorporate illogical, heuristic, experiential, or hedonic aspects of consumption), interpretation (various qualitative or “postmodern” approaches), and intrinsic motivation (the joy of pursuing a managerially irrelevant consumer study purely for the sake of satisfying one’s own curiosity, without concern for whether it does or does not help a marketing practitioner make a bigger profit).

3 The present—the consumer behavior field today

3.1 present concepts.

In recent years, technological changes have significantly influenced the nature of consumption as the customer journey has transitioned to include more interaction on digital platforms that complements interaction in physical stores. This shift poses a major conceptual challenge in understanding if and how these technological changes affect consumption. Does the medium through which consumption occurs fundamentally alter the psychological and social processes identified in earlier research? In addition, this shift allows us to collect more data at different stages of the customer journey, which further allows us to analyze behavior in ways that were not previously available.

Revisiting the ICABS framework, many of the previous concepts are still present, but we are now addressing them through a lens of technological change (Table 2 )

. In recent years, a number of concepts (e.g., identity, beliefs/lay theories, affect as information, self-control, time, psychological ownership, search for meaning and happiness, social belonging, creativity, and status) have emerged as integral factors that influence and are influenced by consumption. To better understand these concepts, a number of influential theories from social psychology have been adopted into consumer behavior research. Self-construal (Markus and Kitayama 1991 ), regulatory focus (Higgins 1998 ), construal level (Trope and Liberman 2010 ), and goal systems (Kruglanski et al. 2002 ) all provide social-cognition frameworks through which consumer behavior researchers study the psychological processes behind consumer behavior. This “adoption” of social psychological theories into consumer behavior is a symbiotic relationship that further enhances the theories. Tory Higgins happily stated that he learned more about his own theories from the work of marketing academics (he cited Angela Lee and Michel Pham) in further testing and extending them.

3.2 Present Methods

Not only have technological advancements changed the nature of consumption but they have also significantly influenced the methods used in consumer research by adding both new sources of data and improved analytical tools (Ding et al. 2020 ). Researchers continue to use traditional methods from psychology in empirical research (scale development, laboratory experiments, quantitative analyses, etc.) and interpretive approaches in qualitative research. Additionally, online experiments using participants from panels such as Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prolific have become commonplace in the last decade. While they raise concerns about the quality of the data and about the external validity of the results, these online experiments have greatly increased the speed and decreased the cost of collecting data, so researchers continue to use them, albeit with some caution. Reminiscent of the discussion in the 1970s and 1980s about the use of student subjects, the projectability of the online responses and of an increasingly conditioned “professional” group of online respondents (MTurkers) is a major concern.

Technology has also changed research methodology. Currently, there is a large increase in the use of secondary data thanks to the availability of Big Data about online and offline behavior. Methods in computer science have advanced our ability to analyze large corpuses of unstructured data (text, voice, visual images) in an efficient and rigorous way and, thus, to tap into a wealth of nuanced thoughts, feelings, and behaviors heretofore only accessible to qualitative researchers through laboriously conducted content analyses. There are also new neuro-marketing techniques like eye-tracking, fMRI’s, body arousal measures (e.g., heart rate, sweat), and emotion detectors that allow us to measure automatic responses. Lastly, there has been an increase in large-scale field experiments that can be run in online B2C marketplaces.

3.3 Present Aims

Along with a focus on real-world observations and data, there is a renewed emphasis on managerial relevance. Countless conference addresses and editorials in JCR , JCP , and other journals have emphasized the importance of making consumer research useful outside of academia—that is, to help companies, policy makers, and consumers. For instance, understanding how the “new” consumer interacts over time with other consumers and companies in the current marketplace is a key area for future research. As global and social concerns become more salient in all aspects of life, issues of long-term sustainability, social equality, and ethical business practices have also become more central research topics. Fortunately, despite this emphasis on relevance, theoretical contributions and novel ideas are still highly valued. An appropriate balance of theory and practice has become the holy grail of consumer research.

The effects of the current trends in real-world consumption will increase in magnitude with time as more consumers are digitally native. Therefore, a better understanding of current consumer behavior can give us insights and help predict how it will continue to evolve in the years to come.

4 The future—the consumer behavior field in 2040

The other papers use 2030 as a target year but we asked our survey respondents to make predictions for 2040 and thus we have a different future target year.

Niels Bohr once said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” Indeed, it would be a fool’s errand for a single person to hazard a guess about the state of the consumer behavior field twenty years from now. Therefore, predictions from 34 active consumer researchers were collected to address this task. Here, we briefly summarize those predictions.

4.1 Future Concepts

While few respondents proffered guesses regarding specific concepts that would be of interest twenty years from now, many suggested broad topics and trends they expected to see in the field. Expectations for topics could largely be grouped into three main areas. Many suspected that we will be examining essentially the same core topics, perhaps at a finer-grained level, from different perspectives or in ways that we currently cannot utilize due to methodological limitations (more on methods below). A second contingent predicted that much research would center on the impending crises the world faces today, most mentioning environmental and social issues (the COVID-19 pandemic had not yet begun when these predictions were collected and, unsurprisingly, was not anticipated by any of our respondents). The last group, citing the widely expected profound impact of AI on consumers’ lives, argued that AI and other technology-related topics will be dominant subjects in consumer research circa 2040.

While the topic of technology is likely to be focal in the field, our current expectations for the impact of technology on consumers’ lives are narrower than it should be. Rather than merely offering innumerable conveniences and experiences, it seems likely that technology will begin to be integrated into consumers’ thoughts, identities, and personal relationships—probably sooner than we collectively expect. The integration of machines into humans’ bodies and lives will present the field with an expanding list of research questions that do not exist today. For example, how will the concepts of the self, identity, privacy, and goal pursuit change when web-connected technology seamlessly integrates with human consciousness and cognition? Major questions will also need to be answered regarding philosophy of mind, ethics, and social inequality. We suspect that the impact of technology on consumers and consumer research will be far broader than most consumer-behavior researchers anticipate.

As for broader trends within consumer research, there were two camps: (1) those who expect (or hope) that dominant theories (both current and yet to be developed) will become more integrated and comprehensive and (2) those who expect theoretical contributions to become smaller and smaller, to the point of becoming trivial. Both groups felt that current researchers are filling smaller cracks than before, but disagreed on how this would ultimately be resolved.

4.2 Future Methods

As was the case with concepts, respondents’ expectations regarding consumer-research methodologies in 2030 can also be divided into three broad baskets. Unsurprisingly, many indicated that we would be using many technologies not currently available or in wide use. Perhaps more surprising was that most cited the use of technology such as AI, machine-learning algorithms, and robots in designing—as opposed to executing or analyzing—experiments. (Some did point to the use of technologies such as virtual reality in the actual execution of experiments.) The second camp indicated that a focus on reliable and replicable results (discussed further below) will encourage a greater tendency for pre-registering studies, more use of “Big Data,” and a demand for more studies per paper (versus more papers per topic, which some believe is a more fruitful direction). Finally, the third lot indicated that “real data” would be in high demand, thereby necessitating the use of incentive-compatible, consequential dependent variables and a greater prevalence of field studies in consumer research.

As a result, young scholars would benefit from developing a “toolkit” of methodologies for collecting and analyzing the abundant new data of interest to the field. This includes (but is not limited to) a deep understanding of designing and implementing field studies (Gerber and Green 2012 ), data analysis software (R, Python, etc.), text mining and analysis (Humphreys and Wang 2018 ), and analytical tools for other unstructured forms of data such as image and sound. The replication crisis in experimental research means that future scholars will also need to take a more critical approach to validity (internal, external, construct), statistical power, and significance in their work.

4.3 Future Aims

While there was an air of existential concern about the future of the field, most agreed that the trend will be toward increasing the relevance and reliability of consumer research. Specifically, echoing calls from journals and thought leaders, the respondents felt that papers will need to offer more actionable implications for consumers, managers, or policy makers. However, few thought that this increased focus would come at the expense of theoretical insights, suggesting a more demanding overall standard for consumer research in 2040. Likewise, most felt that methodological transparency, open access to data and materials, and study pre-registration will become the norm as the field seeks to allay concerns about the reliability and meaningfulness of its research findings.

4.4 Summary - Future research questions and directions

Despite some well-justified pessimism, the future of consumer research is as bright as ever. As we revised this paper amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that many aspects of marketplace behavior, consumption, and life in general will change as a result of this unprecedented global crisis. Given this, and the radical technological, social, and environmental changes that loom on the horizon, consumer researchers will have a treasure trove of topics to tackle in the next ten years, many of which will carry profound substantive importance. While research approaches will evolve, the core goals will remain consistent—namely, to generate theoretically insightful, empirically supported, and substantively impactful research (Table 3 ).

5 Conclusion

At any given moment in time, the focal concepts, methods, and aims of consumer-behavior scholarship reflect both the prior development of the field and trends in the larger scientific community. However, despite shifting trends, the core of the field has remained constant—namely, to understand the motivations, thought processes, and experiences of individuals as they consume goods, services, information, and other offerings, and to use these insights to develop interventions to improve both marketing strategy for firms and consumer welfare for individuals and groups. Amidst the excitement of new technologies, social trends, and consumption experiences, it is important to look back and remind ourselves of the insights the field has already generated. Effectively integrating these past findings with new observations and fresh research will help the field advance our understanding of consumer behavior.

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Malter, M.S., Holbrook, M.B., Kahn, B.E. et al. The past, present, and future of consumer research. Mark Lett 31 , 137–149 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-020-09526-8

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Consumer Behaviour Dissertation Topics (28 Examples) For Research

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Some of the most interesting consumer behaviour dissertation topics are listed on this site. The list of dissertation topics on consumer behaviour is developed based on emerging concepts and ideas in the field of business and marketing. Consumer behaviour is a vast area to study and has gained the attention of researchers belonging to different […]

consumer behaviour dissertation topics

Some of the most interesting dissertation topics on consumer behaviour are listed on this site. The list of dissertation topics on consumer behaviour is developed based on emerging concepts and ideas in the field of business and marketing. Consumer behaviour is a vast area to study and has gained the attention of researchers belonging to different fields.

The project topics on consumer behaviour and research topics on consumer behaviour are listed down, and we can also help in completing projects according to your requirements. You can explore the dissertation, project, and research topics to carry out your study.

A list of Dissertation Topics on Consumer Behaviour

How online shopping consumer behaviour affects the high-street shopping patterns in the UK?

Examining the differences between male and female customer psychologies.

Analysing how advertising stimulates excessing consumption patterns.

To conduct a literature review on the importance of understanding customer needs.

Exploring the differences in consumer buying patterns considering different consumer characteristics.

Are the consumers willing to pay a premium for convenience?

Comparing the factors influencing consumer behaviour related to clothing brands in the UK.

Evaluating the country of origin effects on consumer buying behaviour.

Studying the impact of brand association on consumer buying behaviour in the sports industry.

Examining the impact of advertising media on consumer purchasing behaviour related to food and beverage products.

To explore the factors affecting consumer’s purchase decisions in the UK’s retail market.

A quantitative study on how online shopping trends have affected the profitability of leading retailers in the UK – A case study of Tesco.

Studying the impact of trends in consumer’s food behaviour contributing to the development of marketing strategies in the fashion industry.

A review of twenty-five years research of the consumer behaviour study in different markets.

Does e-marketing influence consumer purchase decisions?

Analysing and comparing the strategies used by luxury brands to influence consumer behaviour.

Examining the role of information technology in revolutionising the marketer’s approach to motivate and influence consumers.

Assessing the impact of integrated marketing communication on consumer impulsive buying behaviour.

A literature review on the impact of branding on consumer behaviour.

Importance of ethics in building and maintaining relationships with the consumers.

The role of innovation and creativity on consumer behaviour and perceptions.

Qualitative analysis of the impact of loyalty schemes on consumer purchasing decisions and loyalty.

Impact of cross-cultural marketing on the marketing techniques used to attract and influence consumers.

A literature review on the effects of globalisation on customer behaviour.

Consumer, customer and perceived value: past, present and future.

Examining the environmental orientation of consumer behaviour: motivational component.

Impact of the external stimuli on the impulsive buying behaviour of consumers.

Studying the female consumer behaviour towards jewellery products in Asian countries.

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Research Methods for Measuring Consumer Behaviour

Measuring consumer behaviour is essential for businesses to gain insights into the preferences, motivations, and decision-making processes of their target audience. Understanding consumer behaviour enables businesses to develop effective marketing strategies, improve product offerings, and enhance customer satisfaction.

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In this blog post, we will explore some of the best research methods for measuring consumer behaviour, providing you with valuable tools to gain meaningful insights.

1. surveys and questionnaires:.

Surveys and questionnaires are widely used research methods for measuring consumer behaviour. They allow businesses to collect quantitative and qualitative data by asking specific questions about consumer preferences, purchasing habits, brand perceptions, and satisfaction levels. Surveys can be administered online, through email, or in person. Carefully designed surveys with well-crafted questions can provide valuable insights into consumer behaviour at a large scale.

2. Interviews:

In-depth interviews offer a more personal and qualitative approach to understanding consumer behaviour. Conducting one-on-one interviews allows for a deeper exploration of consumers’ thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, depending on the research objectives. They provide an opportunity to gather rich, detailed insights that go beyond what can be captured in surveys. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or through video calls.

3. Focus Groups:

Focus groups involve bringing together a small group of individuals (usually 8-10) to engage in a guided discussion on specific topics related to consumer behaviour. Focus groups provide an interactive setting where participants can share their opinions, reactions, and experiences. The group dynamics often generate valuable insights and allow researchers to observe how individuals influence each other’s opinions. Focus groups can be particularly useful for exploring perceptions of new products, testing marketing messages, or gaining insights into consumer motivations.

4. Observational Research:

Observational research involves directly observing and recording consumer behaviour in natural or controlled settings. This method allows researchers to understand how consumers behave without relying on self-reported data. Observational research can be conducted through in-person observation, video recordings, or through tracking technologies such as eye-tracking or heat maps. By observing consumer actions, researchers can gain insights into purchasing decisions, browsing patterns, and product usage.

5. Experimental Research:

Experimental research involves manipulating certain variables in a controlled environment to understand their impact on consumer behaviour. It allows researchers to test causal relationships and draw conclusions about cause and effect. Experimental research can be conducted in a laboratory or field setting. For example, businesses may test the influence of different pricing strategies or advertising messages on consumer behaviour. Experimental research provides valuable insights into the underlying factors that drive consumer decision-making.

6. Online Analytics:

In the digital age, online analytics tools provide a wealth of data to measure consumer behaviour. Businesses can leverage website analytics, social media monitoring, and online tracking to gain insights into consumer engagement, browsing behaviour, click-through rates, and conversions. These tools provide quantitative data that can inform decision-making and marketing strategies. Online analytics also allow for real-time monitoring and immediate feedback, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing consumer behaviour.

Measuring consumer behaviour is essential for businesses to stay competitive and meet customer expectations. By employing a combination of research methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observational research, experimental research, and online analytics, businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences, motivations, and decision-making processes. Each research method has its strengths and limitations, so it’s important to choose the appropriate methods based on the research objectives and target audience. By investing in robust research methods, businesses can make informed decisions and create tailored strategies that resonate with their target consumers.

Join forces with My View Research and unlock the insights that drive consumer-centric strategies and business growth. Together, let’s decode the secrets of consumer behaviour!

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  • Bibliography
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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Consumer behaviour'

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Martínez, Bárbara, and Sara Pérez. "Consumer Behaviour." Thesis, Halmstad University, School of Business and Engineering (SET), 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-1595.

The aim of this work is to understand the consumer behaviour. The research is going to be focus on the factors that influence the consumers behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to know the different aspects that the consumers have into account when they decide to use a certain product.

Westberg, Kathleen J., and n/a. "The Impact of Cause-Related Marketing on Consumer Attitude to the Brand and Purchase Intention: A Comparison with Sponsorship and Sales Promotion." Griffith University. School of Marketing, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20050211.124210.

Westberg, Kathleen J. "The Impact of Cause-Related Marketing on Consumer Attitude to the Brand and Purchase Intention: A Comparison with Sponsorship and Sales Promotion." Thesis, Griffith University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366195.

Lourenço, Jacqueline Areal. "Children consumer behaviour field lab: the Nestum consumer." Master's thesis, NSBE - UNL, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/10285.

Abu, Hasan Zuha. "Interpreting green consumer behaviour : an exploratory examination of Cardiff consumers." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2011. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/24494/.

Whiting, Philip. "Can Changes to Product Behaviour Alter Consumer Behaviour?" Thesis, Griffith University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366234.

Hasslinger, Anders, Selma Hodzic, and Claudio Opazo. "Consumer Behaviour in Online Shopping." Thesis, Kristianstad University College, School of Health and Society, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-4715.

The Internet has developed into a new distribution channel and online

transactions are rapidly increasing. This has created a need to understand how

the consumer perceives online purchases.

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine if there are any particular

factors that influence the online consumer. Primary data was collected through

a survey that was conducted on students at the University of Kristianstad.

Price, Trust and Convenience were identified as important factors. Price was

considered to be the most important factor for a majority of the students.

Furthermore, three segments were identified, High Spenders, Price Easers and

Bargain Seekers. Through these segments we found a variation of the different

factors importance and established implications for online book stores.

Jeub, Lucas G. S. "Networks, communities, and consumer behaviour." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:15a20771-8844-4b01-b187-0b8d411bc457.

Dizdarevic, Goran. "Data Fusion for Consumer Behaviour." Thesis, KTH, Matematisk statistik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-209247.

Duh, Helen Inseng. "Money attitudes and materialism among generation Y South Africans: a life-course study." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008612.

Blomqvist, Anna, Louise Nyman, and Frida Lennartsson. "Consumer Attitudes Towards Online Grocery Shopping : A Research Conducted on Swedish Consumers." Thesis, Högskolan i Jönköping, Internationella Handelshögskolan, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-26652.

Ayalew, Romel. "Consumer behaviour in Apple's App Store." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-166547.

David, Yigal. "Consumer behaviour in voice based interactions." Thesis, Middlesex University, 2015. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/17321/.

El, Said Ghada Refaat. "Cultural effect on electronic consumer behaviour." Thesis, Brunel University, 2006. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/412.

Sehib, Khairia A. H. "Consumer food shopping behaviour in Libya." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/2289.

Mahmood, Ammara. "Essays on consumer behaviour and pricing." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:2f99d998-5536-44cc-aae1-99fb97f1a191.

Svensson, Karolina, and Nathalie Myhre. "Insights about the Swedish ethical consumer : a study on consumer behavoiur towards fairtrade coffee." Thesis, Högskolan Kristianstad, Sektionen för hälsa och samhälle, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-9690.

Dootson, Paula. "Where do consumers draw the line? : an investigation of deviant consumer behaviour." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2014. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/75517/1/Paula_Dootson_Thesis.pdf.

Lefevre, Emelie, and Marcus Nilsson. "The responsible consumer – Consumer consciousness from idea to delivery : an exploratory study of consumers’ willingness to act socially responsible when purchasing fashion online." Thesis, Högskolan Kristianstad, Fakulteten för ekonomi, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-20779.

Hanel, Vanessa K., and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management. "Socially conscious consumer behaviour : the role of ethical self-identity in the use of mental accounting / Vanessa K. Hanel." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Management, 2010, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/2598.

Nordfält, Jens. "Is consumer decision-making out of control ? : non-conscious influences on consumer decision-making for fast moving consumer goods /." Stockholm : Economic Research Institute, Stockholm School of Economics (EFI), 2005. http://web.hhs.se/efi/summary/673.htm.

Vervliet, Bruce Morton. "A model for green product purchasing behaviour." Thesis, Nelson Mandela University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13636.

HUO, Yue. "Susceptibility to global consumer culture : scale development and purchase behaviour of Shanghai consumers." Digital Commons @ Lingnan University, 2008. https://commons.ln.edu.hk/mkt_etd/7.

Nordling, Cim. "Video consumption in 2020 : A study on consumer behaviour and consumer motives." Thesis, KTH, Medieteknik och interaktionsdesign, MID, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-170134.

Abley, Jennifer. "Stated preference techniques and consumer choice behaviour." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1826/4063.

Stewart, Christopher. "Modelling and comparing OECD countries' consumer behaviour." Thesis, London Metropolitan University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.297585.

Hewer, Paul A. "The sociology of consumer behaviour and men." Thesis, University of York, 1995. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10834/.

Norrgård, I. (Isadora). "Consumer buying behaviour in online legal services." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2019. http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/nbnfioulu-201911223154.

Cornovan, Daniela <1996&gt. "Italian consumer behaviour towards plant-based meat." Master's Degree Thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/20804.

SEHRAWAT, SHIVANGI. "ANALYSING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN INDIAN HATCHBACK MARKET." Thesis, DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, 2021. http://dspace.dtu.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/repository/18341.

Borowa, Monika. "The demand for tourism services in Poland between 1990 and 2005." Thesis, Halmstad University, School of Business and Engineering (SET), 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-1596.

Tourism plays an important role in today’s world. More and more people leave all the issues and problems behind, and just travel to relax and experience something unique in their lives. The main research question of this paper has been created:

“Did consumer behaviour affect what services tourism companies provided in Poland between 1990 and 2005?”

The objective of this paper is to fill the lack of knowledge about tourism offerings in Poland. The purpose of this study is to investigate travellers’ preferences for facilities and services in analysed country between 1900 and 2005. This study also investigates if consumer behaviour affects what services tourism companies will provide.

Apell, Karlsson Jennifer, Moa Gustafsson, and Rikard Rasmusson. "Consumers' Response to Irresponsible Corporate Behaviour : A Study of the Swedish Consumers' Attitude and Behaviour." Thesis, Internationella Handelshögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, IHH, Företagsekonomi, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-26693.

Perez, Montesa Luis. "Online and Smartphone Consumer Behaviour of Spanish Millennials." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2015. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-205808.

Gradassi, Florent, and Justine Viennot. "The country of origin effect on the consumer behaviour : The impact of the "Made in France" on the Swedish consumer behaviour." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Sektionen för ekonomi och teknik (SET), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-25469.

Smith, Andrew Peter. "Consumer's product choice behaviour : an application of chaos theory." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/1452.

Chan, Siu-kay. "Consumption behaviour of Mainland vacation visitors in Hong Kong." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25018036.

Chak, Chi-kin. "Consumer behaviour with regard to the replacement of domestic cooking appliances in Hong Kong /." [Hong Kong] : University of Hong Kong, 1990. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B12923084.

McCole, Patrick. "Dimensionalising trust in Internet buying behaviour." Thesis, University of Ulster, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.272536.

Guido, Gianluigi. "An incongruity-salience hypothesis on consumer awareness." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.263008.

Shum, Yiu-cheung Paul. "Property buying behaviour in Shenzhen." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B31969203.

Hernández, Maskivker Gilda Maria. "Consumer waiting behaviour: Priority passes in tourism services." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/454776.

Harmgart, H. "Consumer behaviour, feedback information and the supermarket industry." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2006. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1445544/.

Abdelhadi, Amal M. "Libyan consumer aberrant behaviour: factors affecting its adoption." Thesis, Nottingham Trent University, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.657616.

Al-Otaibi, O. S. "Shopping centre development and consumer behaviour in Kuwait." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1988. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.234014.

Hamilton, Robert. "[Credit] scoring : predicting, understanding and explaining consumer behaviour." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2005. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/13053.

Uncles, M. D. "Models of consumer shopping behaviour in urban areas." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/653c145a-2ac7-49a9-bd65-3bd88de90217.

Hasan, Maher Mohamad. "Factors influencing Consumer Behaviour on the Czech Market." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2009. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-16370.

Foxall, Gordon R. "Consumer psychology in behavioural perspective : an evaluation of the contribution of the experimental analysis of behaviour to consumer research." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 1989. http://oleg.lib.strath.ac.uk:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=21219.

Fu, Qingchen, and Yue Yuan. "Factors influencing Chinese consumer behavior purchasing clothes online in Sweden." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för ekonomi, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-19946.

Andersson, Johannes, Martin Blomkvist, and Mattias Holmberg. "Blog Marketing - A consumer perspective." Thesis, Jönköping University, JIBS, EMM (Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Management), 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-891.

The phenomenon of blogs is growing rapidly and is expected to increase even in a more rapid pace (Technorati, 2006, November 6). As Wright (2006) discuss; blogs provides a new way of communicating with customers, as customers want to be talked with, not to. Companies have newly started to pay attention to this and as a result, the concept of blog marketing has been born. The little research that has been done on blog marketing has been done from a company perspective. However, no or little research has yet considered how consumers use blogs. In order to use blogs as a communication tool, it is of huge importance for companies to understand how consumers use blogs in their decision making. Hence the purpose is;

“To explore how and why consumers use blogs in their decision making process“

In order to answer this purpose we conducted nine interviews on young adults, as previous research suggests that this population use blogs the most (Tremayne, 2007). From the collected data a qualitative analyze was made in which the empirical findings was analyzed with support of the theoretical framework.

From the analysis we found that consumers use blogs throughout their decision making. Within the consumers’ decision making, collaborative blogs was mostly used as the consumers could get more input from a larger audience and because this type of blog tended to cover a specific topic of interest for the consumers. Consumers were found mainly writing in the blogs when they had knowledge to contribute with or when they needed information that they could not otherwise find in the blogs.

We also noticed that consumers turned to groups they belonged to, so called normative group, or they turned to groups that they did not belong to, so called comparative groups. These groups influenced the consumer by providing them with knowledge and by giving them positive and negative confirmation on their choice of purchase. However normative groups also persuaded the consumer to buy products in order to belong to the group.

Besides this, a pattern of characteristics of the individuals that the consumer blogged with were noticed. Consumers wanted user experiences and thus the vast majority of these individuals they turned to, seemed to be consumers themselves, with relevant product experiences. The consumers also seem to blog more with certain individuals, whose opinions were valued more. These individuals often shared the latest information on products.

Lastly we found that consumers seemed to be selective when reading blog posts. The blog posts needed to contain detailed- and up-to-date information. Moreover, consumers wanted blog post to be written by other consumers because they saw them as more credible then companies. The consumers also chose to read blog posts that show similarities be-tween the consumer and the blogger in terms of either usage pattern of product or preference for product choices.

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500+ Quantitative Research Titles and Topics

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Quantitative Research Topics

Quantitative research involves collecting and analyzing numerical data to identify patterns, trends, and relationships among variables. This method is widely used in social sciences, psychology , economics , and other fields where researchers aim to understand human behavior and phenomena through statistical analysis. If you are looking for a quantitative research topic, there are numerous areas to explore, from analyzing data on a specific population to studying the effects of a particular intervention or treatment. In this post, we will provide some ideas for quantitative research topics that may inspire you and help you narrow down your interests.

Quantitative Research Titles

Quantitative Research Titles are as follows:

Business and Economics

  • “Statistical Analysis of Supply Chain Disruptions on Retail Sales”
  • “Quantitative Examination of Consumer Loyalty Programs in the Fast Food Industry”
  • “Predicting Stock Market Trends Using Machine Learning Algorithms”
  • “Influence of Workplace Environment on Employee Productivity: A Quantitative Study”
  • “Impact of Economic Policies on Small Businesses: A Regression Analysis”
  • “Customer Satisfaction and Profit Margins: A Quantitative Correlation Study”
  • “Analyzing the Role of Marketing in Brand Recognition: A Statistical Overview”
  • “Quantitative Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Consumer Trust”
  • “Price Elasticity of Demand for Luxury Goods: A Case Study”
  • “The Relationship Between Fiscal Policy and Inflation Rates: A Time-Series Analysis”
  • “Factors Influencing E-commerce Conversion Rates: A Quantitative Exploration”
  • “Examining the Correlation Between Interest Rates and Consumer Spending”
  • “Standardized Testing and Academic Performance: A Quantitative Evaluation”
  • “Teaching Strategies and Student Learning Outcomes in Secondary Schools: A Quantitative Study”
  • “The Relationship Between Extracurricular Activities and Academic Success”
  • “Influence of Parental Involvement on Children’s Educational Achievements”
  • “Digital Literacy in Primary Schools: A Quantitative Assessment”
  • “Learning Outcomes in Blended vs. Traditional Classrooms: A Comparative Analysis”
  • “Correlation Between Teacher Experience and Student Success Rates”
  • “Analyzing the Impact of Classroom Technology on Reading Comprehension”
  • “Gender Differences in STEM Fields: A Quantitative Analysis of Enrollment Data”
  • “The Relationship Between Homework Load and Academic Burnout”
  • “Assessment of Special Education Programs in Public Schools”
  • “Role of Peer Tutoring in Improving Academic Performance: A Quantitative Study”

Medicine and Health Sciences

  • “The Impact of Sleep Duration on Cardiovascular Health: A Cross-sectional Study”
  • “Analyzing the Efficacy of Various Antidepressants: A Meta-Analysis”
  • “Patient Satisfaction in Telehealth Services: A Quantitative Assessment”
  • “Dietary Habits and Incidence of Heart Disease: A Quantitative Review”
  • “Correlations Between Stress Levels and Immune System Functioning”
  • “Smoking and Lung Function: A Quantitative Analysis”
  • “Influence of Physical Activity on Mental Health in Older Adults”
  • “Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Community Hospitals: A Quantitative Study”
  • “The Efficacy of Vaccination Programs in Controlling Disease Spread: A Time-Series Analysis”
  • “Role of Social Determinants in Health Outcomes: A Quantitative Exploration”
  • “Impact of Hospital Design on Patient Recovery Rates”
  • “Quantitative Analysis of Dietary Choices and Obesity Rates in Children”

Social Sciences

  • “Examining Social Inequality through Wage Distribution: A Quantitative Study”
  • “Impact of Parental Divorce on Child Development: A Longitudinal Study”
  • “Social Media and its Effect on Political Polarization: A Quantitative Analysis”
  • “The Relationship Between Religion and Social Attitudes: A Statistical Overview”
  • “Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Educational Achievement”
  • “Quantifying the Effects of Community Programs on Crime Reduction”
  • “Public Opinion and Immigration Policies: A Quantitative Exploration”
  • “Analyzing the Gender Representation in Political Offices: A Quantitative Study”
  • “Impact of Mass Media on Public Opinion: A Regression Analysis”
  • “Influence of Urban Design on Social Interactions in Communities”
  • “The Role of Social Support in Mental Health Outcomes: A Quantitative Analysis”
  • “Examining the Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Employment Status”

Engineering and Technology

  • “Performance Evaluation of Different Machine Learning Algorithms in Autonomous Vehicles”
  • “Material Science: A Quantitative Analysis of Stress-Strain Properties in Various Alloys”
  • “Impacts of Data Center Cooling Solutions on Energy Consumption”
  • “Analyzing the Reliability of Renewable Energy Sources in Grid Management”
  • “Optimization of 5G Network Performance: A Quantitative Assessment”
  • “Quantifying the Effects of Aerodynamics on Fuel Efficiency in Commercial Airplanes”
  • “The Relationship Between Software Complexity and Bug Frequency”
  • “Machine Learning in Predictive Maintenance: A Quantitative Analysis”
  • “Wearable Technologies and their Impact on Healthcare Monitoring”
  • “Quantitative Assessment of Cybersecurity Measures in Financial Institutions”
  • “Analysis of Noise Pollution from Urban Transportation Systems”
  • “The Influence of Architectural Design on Energy Efficiency in Buildings”

Quantitative Research Topics

Quantitative Research Topics are as follows:

  • The effects of social media on self-esteem among teenagers.
  • A comparative study of academic achievement among students of single-sex and co-educational schools.
  • The impact of gender on leadership styles in the workplace.
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic performance of students.
  • The effect of mindfulness meditation on stress levels in college students.
  • The relationship between employee motivation and job satisfaction.
  • The effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional classroom learning.
  • The correlation between sleep duration and academic performance among college students.
  • The impact of exercise on mental health among adults.
  • The relationship between social support and psychological well-being among cancer patients.
  • The effect of caffeine consumption on sleep quality.
  • A comparative study of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy in treating depression.
  • The relationship between physical attractiveness and job opportunities.
  • The correlation between smartphone addiction and academic performance among high school students.
  • The impact of music on memory recall among adults.
  • The effectiveness of parental control software in limiting children’s online activity.
  • The relationship between social media use and body image dissatisfaction among young adults.
  • The correlation between academic achievement and parental involvement among minority students.
  • The impact of early childhood education on academic performance in later years.
  • The effectiveness of employee training and development programs in improving organizational performance.
  • The relationship between socioeconomic status and access to healthcare services.
  • The correlation between social support and academic achievement among college students.
  • The impact of technology on communication skills among children.
  • The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction programs in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  • The relationship between employee turnover and organizational culture.
  • The correlation between job satisfaction and employee engagement.
  • The impact of video game violence on aggressive behavior among children.
  • The effectiveness of nutritional education in promoting healthy eating habits among adolescents.
  • The relationship between bullying and academic performance among middle school students.
  • The correlation between teacher expectations and student achievement.
  • The impact of gender stereotypes on career choices among high school students.
  • The effectiveness of anger management programs in reducing violent behavior.
  • The relationship between social support and recovery from substance abuse.
  • The correlation between parent-child communication and adolescent drug use.
  • The impact of technology on family relationships.
  • The effectiveness of smoking cessation programs in promoting long-term abstinence.
  • The relationship between personality traits and academic achievement.
  • The correlation between stress and job performance among healthcare professionals.
  • The impact of online privacy concerns on social media use.
  • The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating anxiety disorders.
  • The relationship between teacher feedback and student motivation.
  • The correlation between physical activity and academic performance among elementary school students.
  • The impact of parental divorce on academic achievement among children.
  • The effectiveness of diversity training in improving workplace relationships.
  • The relationship between childhood trauma and adult mental health.
  • The correlation between parental involvement and substance abuse among adolescents.
  • The impact of social media use on romantic relationships among young adults.
  • The effectiveness of assertiveness training in improving communication skills.
  • The relationship between parental expectations and academic achievement among high school students.
  • The correlation between sleep quality and mood among adults.
  • The impact of video game addiction on academic performance among college students.
  • The effectiveness of group therapy in treating eating disorders.
  • The relationship between job stress and job performance among teachers.
  • The correlation between mindfulness and emotional regulation.
  • The impact of social media use on self-esteem among college students.
  • The effectiveness of parent-teacher communication in promoting academic achievement among elementary school students.
  • The impact of renewable energy policies on carbon emissions
  • The relationship between employee motivation and job performance
  • The effectiveness of psychotherapy in treating eating disorders
  • The correlation between physical activity and cognitive function in older adults
  • The effect of childhood poverty on adult health outcomes
  • The impact of urbanization on biodiversity conservation
  • The relationship between work-life balance and employee job satisfaction
  • The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in treating trauma
  • The correlation between parenting styles and child behavior
  • The effect of social media on political polarization
  • The impact of foreign aid on economic development
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and organizational performance
  • The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy in treating borderline personality disorder
  • The correlation between childhood abuse and adult mental health outcomes
  • The effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive function
  • The impact of trade policies on international trade and economic growth
  • The relationship between employee engagement and organizational commitment
  • The effectiveness of cognitive therapy in treating postpartum depression
  • The correlation between family meals and child obesity rates
  • The effect of parental involvement in sports on child athletic performance
  • The impact of social entrepreneurship on sustainable development
  • The relationship between emotional labor and job burnout
  • The effectiveness of art therapy in treating dementia
  • The correlation between social media use and academic procrastination
  • The effect of poverty on childhood educational attainment
  • The impact of urban green spaces on mental health
  • The relationship between job insecurity and employee well-being
  • The effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy in treating anxiety disorders
  • The correlation between childhood trauma and substance abuse
  • The effect of screen time on children’s social skills
  • The impact of trade unions on employee job satisfaction
  • The relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication
  • The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in treating chronic pain
  • The correlation between childhood obesity and adult health outcomes
  • The effect of gender diversity on corporate performance
  • The impact of environmental regulations on industry competitiveness.
  • The impact of renewable energy policies on greenhouse gas emissions
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and team performance
  • The effectiveness of group therapy in treating substance abuse
  • The correlation between parental involvement and social skills in early childhood
  • The effect of technology use on sleep patterns
  • The impact of government regulations on small business growth
  • The relationship between job satisfaction and employee turnover
  • The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in treating anxiety disorders
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic motivation in adolescents
  • The effect of social media on political engagement
  • The impact of urbanization on mental health
  • The relationship between corporate social responsibility and consumer trust
  • The correlation between early childhood education and social-emotional development
  • The effect of screen time on cognitive development in young children
  • The impact of trade policies on global economic growth
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and innovation
  • The effectiveness of family therapy in treating eating disorders
  • The correlation between parental involvement and college persistence
  • The effect of social media on body image and self-esteem
  • The impact of environmental regulations on business competitiveness
  • The relationship between job autonomy and job satisfaction
  • The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in treating phobias
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic achievement in college
  • The effect of social media on sleep quality
  • The impact of immigration policies on social integration
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and employee well-being
  • The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy in treating personality disorders
  • The correlation between early childhood education and executive function skills
  • The effect of parental involvement on STEM education outcomes
  • The impact of trade policies on domestic employment rates
  • The relationship between job insecurity and mental health
  • The effectiveness of exposure therapy in treating PTSD
  • The correlation between parental involvement and social mobility
  • The effect of social media on intergroup relations
  • The impact of urbanization on air pollution and respiratory health.
  • The relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness
  • The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating depression
  • The correlation between early childhood education and language development
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in STEM fields
  • The impact of trade policies on income inequality
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and customer satisfaction
  • The effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy in treating anxiety disorders
  • The correlation between parental involvement and civic engagement in adolescents
  • The effect of social media on mental health among teenagers
  • The impact of public transportation policies on traffic congestion
  • The relationship between job stress and job performance
  • The effectiveness of group therapy in treating depression
  • The correlation between early childhood education and cognitive development
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic motivation in college
  • The impact of environmental regulations on energy consumption
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and employee engagement
  • The effectiveness of art therapy in treating PTSD
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in vocational education
  • The effect of social media on academic achievement in college
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  • The impact of trade policies on foreign investment
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  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in computer science
  • The effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy in treating PTSD
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in homeschooling
  • The effect of social media on cyberbullying behavior
  • The impact of urbanization on air quality
  • The effectiveness of dance therapy in treating anxiety disorders
  • The correlation between early childhood education and math achievement
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in health education
  • The impact of global warming on agriculture
  • The effectiveness of narrative therapy in treating depression
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in character education
  • The effect of social media on political participation
  • The impact of technology on job displacement
  • The relationship between job resources and job satisfaction
  • The effectiveness of art therapy in treating addiction
  • The correlation between early childhood education and reading comprehension
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in environmental education
  • The impact of income inequality on social mobility
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and organizational culture
  • The effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy in treating anxiety disorders
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in physical therapy education
  • The effect of social media on misinformation
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  • The relationship between job demands and employee well-being
  • The correlation between early childhood education and science achievement
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in religious education
  • The impact of gender diversity on corporate governance
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and ethical decision-making
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in dental hygiene education
  • The effect of social media on self-esteem among adolescents
  • The impact of renewable energy policies on energy security
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in social studies
  • The impact of trade policies on job growth
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and leadership styles
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in online vocational training
  • The effect of social media on self-esteem among men
  • The impact of urbanization on air pollution levels
  • The effectiveness of music therapy in treating depression
  • The correlation between early childhood education and math skills
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in language arts
  • The impact of immigration policies on labor market outcomes
  • The effectiveness of hypnotherapy in treating phobias
  • The effect of social media on political engagement among young adults
  • The impact of urbanization on access to green spaces
  • The relationship between job crafting and job satisfaction
  • The effectiveness of exposure therapy in treating specific phobias
  • The correlation between early childhood education and spatial reasoning
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in business education
  • The impact of trade policies on economic inequality
  • The effectiveness of narrative therapy in treating PTSD
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in nursing education
  • The effect of social media on sleep quality among adolescents
  • The impact of urbanization on crime rates
  • The relationship between job insecurity and turnover intentions
  • The effectiveness of pet therapy in treating anxiety disorders
  • The correlation between early childhood education and STEM skills
  • The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement in culinary education
  • The impact of immigration policies on housing affordability
  • The relationship between workplace diversity and employee satisfaction
  • The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in treating chronic pain
  • The correlation between parental involvement and academic success in art education
  • The effect of social media on academic procrastination among college students
  • The impact of urbanization on public safety services.

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  1. 😍 Consumer behavior research paper. Consumer Buying Behavior And

    quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

  2. (PDF) Consumer Behavior Research Methods

    quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

  3. Research Paper On Consumer Buying Behaviour

    quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

  4. (PDF) Research on Factors Affecting Consumer Behaviour

    quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

  5. What Is Consumer Behavior Its type And How to Analyze And Predict It

    quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

  6. Theoretical basis of consumer behavior research.

    quantitative research topics about consumer behavior

VIDEO

  1. Quantitative research process

  2. Educational Research and Research Development Based on the Quantitative Approach

  3. Quantitative Vs Qualitative Research| Part 2

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  5. Quantitative vs qualitative data presentation

  6. 6 Quantitative Research Methods

COMMENTS

  1. Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics

    100 Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics. Consumer behavior research encompasses a wide range of topics, each of which explores different aspects of how individuals make decisions related to purchasing goods and services. ... and whether the research will be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Fifth, consider seeking guidance from ...

  2. Consumer Behavior Research: A Synthesis of the Recent Literature

    Inevitably, these changes lead to changed consumer behavior studies by which, when, how, and why the topics are studied. Like any other discipline, systematic analysis of the knowledge development status of consumer behavior field is critical in ensuring its future growth (Williams & Plouffe, 2007).It is of a greater importance for a field of research such as consumer behavior that, as ...

  3. Consumer behavior research in the 21st century: Clusters, themes, and

    The results show that major research themes in consumer behavior research in the last two decades have shifted from the focus on fundamentals of consumer behavior, consumers' decision-making process, development of more robust measures and analytical methods to the focus on service quality and consumer satisfaction, online consumer behavior and ...

  4. Exploring consumer behavior: Must-read Research Topics

    Exploring consumer behavior: Must-read Research Topics. Understanding consumer behavior can contribute to decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, one of the tasks set by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal #8: decent work and economic growth. In anticipation of the shopping season, we have curated a list of ...

  5. The past, present, and future of consumer research

    Yet, these works were crucial to the rise of consumer behavior research because, in the decades after 1969, ... quantitative (both secondary data analysis and experimental techniques) and qualitative. ... argued that AI and other technology-related topics will be dominant subjects in consumer research circa 2040. While the topic of technology ...

  6. Consumer Behavior Research

    The purpose of consumer behavior research is to investigate the behavior of people in their role as consumers. As described in Sect. 1.1, it is not only the externally observable behavior that is of interest, but also the internal processes, in order to be able to answer the "how" and "why" of consumer behavior (Kroeber-Riel & Gröppel-Klein, 2013, p. 3).

  7. Quantitative Approaches to Consumer Field Research

    This paper outlines the nature of quantitative consumer field research. Specifically, this paper discusses four types of quantitative consumer field research based on combinations of control and realism. Within each of these fields, mediation and moderation, whether to test during one occasion or many, questionnaire design, and field data ...

  8. Consumer Behavior Research Methods

    The history of consumer behavior research is largely intertwined with the history of marketing thought (Sheth 1985), and thus each marketing era has had an effect on consumer behavior research.In the early years of the development of the discipline, consumer behavior research methods focused on sampling, collecting data, and analytical techniques (Clow and James 2013).

  9. The effect of COVID-19 on consumer shopping behaviour: Generational

    Abstract. The purpose of this research is to contribute to an understanding of the trends and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer buying behaviour. The results document changes in consumer behaviour patterns that came to dominate at the start of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the Czech Republic.

  10. Consumer Behavior Articles, Research, & Case Studies

    A framework and method for measuring and monetizing product impact across industries, applying it to two competitors in the consumer finance space. Consumer behavior research from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including behavioral economics, brand loyalty, and how to determine the worth of a product.

  11. Consumer Behavior Research: A Synthesis of the Recent Literature

    Consumer behavior issues are generally known as part of the social sciences. A synthesis of several recent literature has revealed that, for over a decade, research on consumer behavior has been ...

  12. COVID-19, consumer behavior, technology, and society: A literature

    The two theories and their many variants are widely used in consumer behavior research and, particularly, cases of a new product, ... Furthermore, they also explain the popularity of quantitative methods in the selected studies, ... 6.3 Reassessment of pre-COVID-19 knowledge on key topics of consumer behavior and recommendation for future studies.

  13. The past, present, and future of consumer research

    In this article, we document the evolution of research trends (concepts, methods, and aims) within the field of consumer behavior, from the time of its early development to the present day, as a multidisciplinary area of research within marketing. We describe current changes in retailing and real-world consumption and offer suggestions on how to use observations of consumption phenomena to ...

  14. Consumer Behavior Research

    status of consumer behavior research including the most domi-nant topics based on Helgeson et al.'s (1984) framework and methodological and analytical approaches, in addition to cita-tion statistics of the reviewed consumer behavior articles. Method To examine the content of consumer behavior literature,

  15. Quantitative Research Methods in Consumer Psychology

    Quantitative consumer research has long been the backbone of consumer psychology producing insights with peerless validity and reliability. This new book addresses a broad range of approaches to consumer psychology research along with developments in quantitative consumer research. Experts in their respective fields offer a perspective into this rapidly changing discipline of quantitative ...

  16. Consumer Behaviour Dissertation Topics (28 Examples) For Research

    The list of dissertation topics on consumer behaviour is developed based on emerging concepts and ideas in the field of business and marketing. Consumer behaviour is a vast area to study and has gained the attention of researchers belonging to different fields. The project topics on consumer behaviour and research topics on consumer behaviour ...

  17. 455 questions with answers in CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

    Answer. Self-extension is a concept in consumer behavior that refers to the extension of one's self-concept onto products or brands. It suggests that individuals tend to choose products or brands ...

  18. Research Methods for Measuring Consumer Behaviour

    1. Surveys and Questionnaires: Surveys and questionnaires are widely used research methods for measuring consumer behaviour. They allow businesses to collect quantitative and qualitative data by asking specific questions about consumer preferences, purchasing habits, brand perceptions, and satisfaction levels.

  19. (PDF) Consumer Behavior Research Methods

    Consumer Behavior Research Methods 415. "project" their personality, attitude, opinion, and self-concept (Clow and James. and respond by indicating the first word (s), image (s) or thought (s ...

  20. Dissertations / Theses: 'Consumer behaviour'

    The primary aim of this thesis is to apply chaos theory to consumer behaviour research. Chaos theory is essentially a theory of time series. The specific focus is product choice consumption behaviour. The conceptual basis for the work is taken from a theory thus far developed entirely outwith the topic focus of consumer research and marketing.

  21. (PDF) Consumer Behavior Among Filipinos: A Quantitative Study About

    The lack of information about the consumer behavior of Filipinos, specifically about the matters of vanity and materialism, influenced the realization of the paper. 200 Filipino individuals were ...

  22. 500+ Quantitative Research Titles and Topics

    Quantitative research involves collecting and analyzing numerical data to identify patterns, trends, and relationships among variables. This method is widely used in social sciences, psychology, economics, and other fields where researchers aim to understand human behavior and phenomena through statistical analysis. If you are looking for a quantitative research topic, there are numerous areas ...

  23. Artificial intelligence consumer behavior: A hybrid review and research

    drastically transformed consumer behavior (CB). As consumers interact with these. applications on multiple platforms and touchpoints, it becomes crucial to understand. how these interactions ...