As part of curriculum enrichment week, Year 12 Psychology and Business pupils were given an opportunity to explore an area that their academic courses alone do not cover. This is a valuable way of enhancing subject knowledge and stimulating the students’ passion for the subjects.
Head of Psychology Mr Richard Ebbage spoke to the group about the ‘power of persuasion’ and the impact it can have on consumer purchasing decisions. The presentation began by outlining the five main stages in the buying decision process, which were first introduced by John Dewey.
The first stage is ‘problem recognition’, which is where the consumer subconsciously or deliberately identifies a basic need for a product. Advertising can often fool customers into thinking they need something. The second stage is the ‘information search’, where buyers gain information about products or services which can provide a solution. This leads into ‘evaluation of alternatives’, where differing available options are compared. This stage is heavily influenced by the buyer’s attitude.
Fourth, and most importantly, comes the ‘purchase decision’. The decision is generally influenced by financial situation, feedback from other customers and the availability of the product. Providing a consumer makes a positive purchase decision, they enter the post-purchase stage which is vital for businesses to retain their customers and develop brand loyalty.
Mr Ebbage then introduced the main principles of persuasion, and how they can influence the different stages of the buying decision process. Large companies aim to accurately predict what customers are thinking in order to increase the chances of selling them their product.
Often, marketing and advertising is tailored towards a certain personality trait. The five major traits are extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and curiousness. The pupils completed personality questionnaires to determine personality type and all found mixed results with one particularly dominant trait. Different advertisement clips for the same product then highlighted how each trait can be targeted.
The seminar provided a fascinating insight the influence of persuasion. Many social scientists are now studying it in depth and building persuasion profiles to sell to large organisations. This in itself is becoming a lucrative business! The students can not only apply this knowledge in their studies next year but will also be more aware of the tactics used by retailers to entice them to spend money.
