Consumer Psychology : The Driving forces behind consumers’ buying behaviour and its impacts
Sormunen, Ville-Tobias (2018)
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018052510354
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018052510354
Tiivistelmä
Selling, buying, marketing and thinking about money has become a very central force in today’s society. Most people use money to purchase something almost daily and money is an important factor in the decision-making process. It has evolved to become one alongside the rising standard of living created in the western world since the previous world war. This progress has positive and negative effects on both the human mind as well as the planet as a whole.
The aim of this thesis was to understand the driving forces behind the consumers’ buying behaviour. The purpose was to identify where the various forces derive from and how they can affect people in form of sales and marketing and how people express themselves via purchasing objects. The research was done by referencing studies and theories of first the economic system and its derivatives and then the psychological perspective to it, why people buy things and whether money can make people happy. Finally, a point was made of how this stream of events effects the planet in the form of overconsumption.
The research of this thesis indicates that while the free markets have created a great deal of good things, it has been built on the premise of buying more and using more money by the consumers. This inclines the human mind to think about money and buying all the time, which leads to humans overvaluing money and the feelings it produces over other methods and feelings.
The psychological aspect of motivation to purchasing behaviour seems to consist of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and various different smaller aspects, such as wanting to belong to something and valuing things that are new. People express their values, hopes and dreams via their buying behaviour. Buying things is a modern way of being and showing who one is. Unfortunately, this behaviour is harmful to the environment and to the planet. By reducing the amount that people buy new things and succumb to the world of marketing, this progress of harming the planet and the human psyche can be helped.
The aim of this thesis was to understand the driving forces behind the consumers’ buying behaviour. The purpose was to identify where the various forces derive from and how they can affect people in form of sales and marketing and how people express themselves via purchasing objects. The research was done by referencing studies and theories of first the economic system and its derivatives and then the psychological perspective to it, why people buy things and whether money can make people happy. Finally, a point was made of how this stream of events effects the planet in the form of overconsumption.
The research of this thesis indicates that while the free markets have created a great deal of good things, it has been built on the premise of buying more and using more money by the consumers. This inclines the human mind to think about money and buying all the time, which leads to humans overvaluing money and the feelings it produces over other methods and feelings.
The psychological aspect of motivation to purchasing behaviour seems to consist of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and various different smaller aspects, such as wanting to belong to something and valuing things that are new. People express their values, hopes and dreams via their buying behaviour. Buying things is a modern way of being and showing who one is. Unfortunately, this behaviour is harmful to the environment and to the planet. By reducing the amount that people buy new things and succumb to the world of marketing, this progress of harming the planet and the human psyche can be helped.