Operant Learning in Explaining Consumer Behaviour

1. Critically analyse the role of operant learning in explaining consumer behaviour.

Consumer behaviour is the process, in which focuses on the way how individuals or groups make decisions in order to satisfy their needs and desires, included search, purchase, evaluate and disposal of products or services (Solomon, 2011). Moreover, operant learning (or instrumental learning) is presented by Skinner (1953), based on Thorndlike’s law of effect which emphasises that a pleasant outcome tends to encourage the repetitive responses in that similar situation again and vice versa. Whereas the involuntary and simple responses are elicited in classical conditioning, Skinner’s theory is useful to explain complex and conscious consumer behaviours because of consequences happening after the behaviour. Therefore, this paper is going to examine the role of operant learning in the produce of purchasing behaviour in case of contingences reinforcement.

The role of positive reinforcement in operant learning can clarify the habitual purchasing consumer behaviour. As acknowledged, operant behaviour is influenced by the outcome of the behaviour itself. It is indicated that satisfaction is formed as hedonic reinforcement as a result of utilitarian consequence of buying and consuming economic goods (DiClemente and Hantula, 2003; Foxall). It means that consumers learn from the previous involvement with the product which creates the satisfaction. Thus, customers tend to perceive the feeling of contentment by the past purchase behaviour is a positive reinforcer, hence leading to the likelihood of producing the specific response of buying the product (Evans, Jamal and Foxal, 2009). Furthermore, the behavioural modification perspective giving quality is the only essential to encourage the customers to purchase (Nord and Peter, 1982). For example, after using several cereals brands, a customer acquires that Kellogg’s is the most appetizing, hence stimulating him to repurchase the brand voluntary in order to receive the reward of tastiness. Besides, Bagozzi (2000) contends that the motivation behind consumer behaviour is also strengthened in the environmental factors and the situations around consumption. It intends as external services cannot be underestimated, because these also make customers happy as a consequence of receiving other rewards at the purchasing moment or afterwards. For instance, promotions or coupons are perceives by consumer as an incentive for their purchase in term of economic saving, leading to satisfaction. As a result of the positive reinforcement in the form pleasure from the sales, the consumers realise that continuing purchase enables them to obtain the benefit of lower price (Blattberg and Neslin, 1990). In conclusion, consumer behaviour is influenced to repeat the purchase behaviour by positive reinforcement regarding both quality and other amenities in order to gain the reward of satisfaction.

Moreover, operant learning can explicate the stop purchasing behaviour in particular situations. Skinner (1953) pointed out that if customers learn that the punishment followed by particular responses, such as the unfavourable events, they are likely to weaken the same behaviour. It is illustrated when customers suffer dissatisfied experiences from the history purchases which do not to meet their expectation, so they will try to avoid the aversive consequences happening again. The customer, for instance, is disappointed with his previous choice due to the poor quality, thus he is likely to change his behaviour by not repurchasing the brand or switching to alternative brands. According to Frisou and Yildiz (2011), in addition, operant learning may prompts customers to attribute the purchase of the product to rewards instead of brand features. It is because the customers may pay more attention on the reinforcement of other the amenities instead of quality of the product. The extinction of pleasant events, thus, can induce customers to be unsatisfied, in turn, reducing the probability of replaying behaviour (Solomon, 2011). The individuals tend to decrease the chance of the accumulation shopping in the nonappearance of the external rewards, such as stopping purchase the particular product after the period promotion or a coupon because they have learnt economic saving reinforcers are no longer applied. According, changing behaviour of consumers is interpreted through operant learning since they realise that the purchase will induce the aversive consequences or dissatisfy themselves, resulting them to end the purchase with the particular product or brand.

On the other hand, the role of operant learning cannot fully explain consumer behaviour. The operant behaviour just occurs if the outcomes of positive or negative consequences is learnt from previous responses, thus it is not suitable to explain the development of new responses. In contrast to vicarious learning, the behaviour of consumer can be changed by the behaviour of others, especially to innovative behaviours. Kotler (1924 cited in Asseal, 2004) argued that people could solve problems by actively employing surrounding information rather than from trial and error learning. As a result of social learning, consumer discover the outcome automatically through observation instead of direct personal experiences, hence imitating the behaviour of others to achieve or avoid the perceived rewards or negative consequences, respectively (Bandura, 1977). For example, by observing a perfume advertisement, the customer apprehends positive consequences of using it which are attractive and elegant. She, thus, tends to emulate in order to obtain the same effects by purchasing the perfume even no experiences with the outcomes of the product in reality in advance (Assael, 2004). Therefore, the new behaviour cannot be developed through operant learning due to the lack of trial and individual experiences, which yet can be explicated by another like cognitive learning.

In conclusion, operant learning is useful to explain the motivation of consumer behaviour in term of buying behaviour due to the experiences acquired from the past behaviour regarding positive or negative consequences,. However, operant learning does not interpret the complex process of consumer decision making. People sometimes cognise the consequences of the particular responses by observing the situations, thus conducting the behaviour in order to satisfy them even without trial before.

1. Discuss the use of principles learning theory in the marketing communications campaign for biscuits.

Keller (2001) states marketing communication is a representative voice of the brand, by which ‘’companies can establish a dialogue with consumer concerning their product offerings’’. Thus, marketing communications are essential persuasive tools of the firm since they enable to elicit the desired responses from customers (Ducan and Moriaty, 1998). Therefore, in this part, I will proffer few strategies for the marketing communications campaign aiming to influence the consumer decision, in turn, leading to improve sales of a new biscuits product. After that, I attempt to discuss the principles of behavioural learning in the marketing campaign which affect behaviour.

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