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Thesis
Consumer Behavior, Impulse Buying, and Design Ethics: A Design Research Approach
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Dec 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001950
Abstract
Consumer behavior is a well-studied but still misunderstood area of our modern life. Consumers can frequently be subjected to unexpected marketing tactics, and some question the ethics of how consumers are commodified, especially when the targeted consumers are viewed as vulnerable (Smith & Cooper-Martin, 1997). This paper contests the ethical strategies employed to target consumers and delves into their buying behaviors, specifically impulse buying, through a qualitative study and other exploratory design research. This project's overarching outcome is to affect how people interact with and buy products and to create ethical guidelines in the future in this area. One current outcome is to study the impact of self-reflection on a consumer's impulse buying habits, aimed at empowering them to make more informed decisions. The researcher conducted a pilot study of four participants who were given an existing 20-item survey instrument to measure their impulse-buying tendencies (Verplanken & Herabadi, 2001). Each Participant's survey results were used to conduct an immediate follow-up interview, which aimed to increase self-awareness and reduce impulse buying behavior in the future. The interviews provided qualitative data to test the hypothesis that consumers are in need of education about their habits to limit their vulnerability to purchasing coercion. This study was designed to test the efficacy of conversations with participants about how taking such a survey might educate them about their buying behaviors. In addition, this project includes an expert interview and survey of case studies of works that also examine this area. These exploratory methods were used to determine the current course of the research and future designed interventions. The results of these multiple research activities suggest that self-reflection is an effective educational tool that can increase self-awareness and potentially reduce impulse buying tendencies in the short term. The paper also proposes future research and guidelines for designers to explore in relation to this topic.
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Details
- Title
- Consumer Behavior, Impulse Buying, and Design Ethics
- Creators
- Sean P. Moran
- Contributors
- Diana S. Nicholas (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- 59 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Architecture, Design, and Urbanism; Design Research; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991021819115004721