Marketing and psychology to better understand consumer behaviour

Abstract

This dissertation explores the multidisciplinary intersection of marketing and psychology with the primary objective of analysing the impact of both disciplines on consumer behaviour. Acknowledging that consumption is often driven by subconscious impulses, the study also aims to determine whether individuals respond coherently to their experiences when questioned about factors influencing their choices. The research examines seven key variables: attention, emotional engagement, motivation, brand awareness, memory, novelty and purchase intention. Following a conceptual analysis, an empirical study was conducted with 45 university students who underwent a 5-minute Virtual Reality (VR) immersion in a digital supermarket. Data collection paired direct observation with a quantitative survey. Findings reveal that while the examined variables significantly impact consumer behaviour, there are profound discrepancies between consumers’ conscious self-reporting and their observed actions. Ultimately, the study concludes that traditional marketing research should be complemented with more advanced tools to accurately capture the consumers’ true decision-making process.