Consumption as Feelings

Abstract

Studying consumers refers to how people perceive, learn, remember and feel in the context of acquiring and using products and services. Such an analysis is tremen- dously complex. In order to better grasp how consumers make choices and decide to buy, the enhanced knowledge of people’s experience of the consumption itself and of all the accompanying sensations proves crucial. Applying the findings of neuro- science, as will be demonstrated in this chapter, provides useful clues. However, one is advised that, not surprisingly for a new discipline, neuromarketing has selectively addressed a diverse range of issues faced in consumer behavior. This is due to the varying complexity of the research tasks, constraints imposed by the available technology and the difficulty in staging different types of experiments. 2.1 From the Concept of Need to the Construct of Pleasure and Reward The concept of a need occupies a central place in the theory of consumer behavior.