The Psychology of Consumer Behavior

5 Learning

Learning is typically defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of practice or experience. An alternative approach is to define learning as the development or acquisition of an association between two stimuli, or between a stimulus and a response. In the context of consumer behavior, the result of this association is a change in the consumer’s behavior toward a product. For example, the consumer might develop an association between a beverage and a pleasant musical jingle. This association between two stimuli might lead the consumer to be more likely to use the product in the future. Alternatively, the consumer might develop an association between drinking the beverage and the satisfaction of thirst. This association ...