MG404 Half Unit
Consumer Insights: Behavioural Fundamentals
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Heather Kappes
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Marketing. This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange and MSc in Management (1 Year Programme). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply:
Places on oversubscribed courses will be allocated via a random ballot process with priority given to students with the course in their Programme Regulations, followed by other Department of Management students, then students from elsewhere in the school. Providing you apply before the Department deadline of 10am on Monday 29 September 2025, the time you applied will not be taken into account. Please be aware that places on high demand courses cannot be guaranteed. By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student’s chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.
For further information and updates on course availability during Week 1, please see the Department of Management Electives Moodle page.
Deadline for application:
Please apply by 10am on Monday 29 September 2025 with your first course choices. No allocations are made before this date and time.
For queries contact:
Please view the Department of Management Electives page for contact emails.
This course may be capped/subject to controlled access. For further information about the course's availability, please see the MG Elective Course Selection Moodle page (https://moodle.lse.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3840).
Course content
For many companies, non-profit organisations, and political figures, success relies on understanding the “consumers.” What is it that they really want, and why? What information will they attend to, and what will they ignore? How do they make decisions, why do they sometimes make bad ones, and how can we help them make better ones? It can be tempting to answer these questions intuitively, based on your own experiences as a consumer. However, intuitions about human psychology are often wrong.
- Chronic and temporary sources of customer needs, desires, and motivations
- How customers search for information, acquire, and process information
- How customers allocate attention and how to attract it
- Customer decision-making processes, and the heuristics and biases that play a role
- The formation of attitudes and intentions, and processes for persuasively changing them
- Social influences on intentions and behaviour, including unconscious determinants
- Why intentions are or are not translated into behaviour, and what strategies can be used to narrow the intention-behaviour gap.
Teaching
30 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.
Formative assessment
Regular multiple-choice quizzes to assess understanding and application of course concepts.
Indicative reading
- Consumer Behavior, 6th edition. Hoyer, MacInnis, & Pieters. South-Western Cengage Learning, 2010;
- Consumer Behavior: Science and Practice. Kardes, Cronley & Cline. South-Western Cengage Learning.
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Cialdini, Robert. Collins Business, 2006.
Further references, especially for journal articles and HBS case studies, will be provided at the commencement of the course.
Assessment
Essay (70%)
Discussion post (30%)
For detailed assessment information, including all deadlines and timings, please see the relevant course Moodle page. Assessment timings will be available at the start of each term.
Key facts
Department: Management
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 127
Average class size 2024/25: 64
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Commercial awareness