Module Description: Behavioural Science is a term given to a number of disciplines which focus on the behaviour of humans. It is of vital importance to examine behavioural patterns since needs and wants represent the cornerstone of marketing. Those involved in marketing no longer first examine demographics, but now consider people’s attitudes and motives etc. The success of a product depends on people and we must aim to understand the forces which produce specific behaviour. It is essential for the Marketing student to have a thorough understanding of human behaviour if he/she is to analyse marketing problems, make informed judgements and manage people in organisations effectively.
Module aim:To develop an understanding of the scope of behavioural science with continuing reference to the practical contribution to the marketing effort.
The nature of behavioural science. The relevance of behavioural science to marketing. Techniques for measuring and collecting data. Natural Science versus Social Science. An examination of the competing scientific principles. The theory and problems in different areas of research. The nature of sensation and perception. Product perception. Perceptional Selection, Perceptual organisation, Person perception. Causal Attribution. Motivation. The nature of motivation. Content, process and behavioural approaches to motivation. Motivational research strategies. Personality. The nature of personality approaches. Personality assessment. Implications for marketing. The nature of learning. Behavioural and cognitive theories. Practical implications for marketing. Forgetting. Stages in the memory process. Information retrieval. Attitudes. The nature and formation of attitudes. Attitude measurement. Consistency theories. Strategies for attitudinal change. Groups. The nature of groups. Stages of Group development. Group performance factors. Irish Demography, Culture & Society. Current analysis of emergent demographic themes in Irish society; fertility, nuptiality, migration. The Organisation and Behavioural Science - Historical and Modern Contributors to management and behavioural science thought
Learning activities to help meet course objectives include group activities and discussions, projects, guided discussion and lectures, case analyses, and current events and issue analyses. Students will also be encouraged to develop their learning skills by self–directed study and self-directed research. Use of the extensively developed and specific Intranet site will be used as an additional learning and information support tool. The tutorial systems will largely, but not exclusively, parallel the lecture series. The tutorials focus on discussing, reflecting on, and in some cases, applying the concepts raised in the lectures
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 65 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 35 |