The New Consumer Psychology: Scanning buying behavior with MRI of the mind - Softcover

The term 'consumption' is generally thought of as process by which individuals purchase goods and services. The New Consumer Psychology attempts to explain consumption as a social behavior that satisfies individual values and desires. In modern society, individual needs are no longer determined solely by age or gender, but by the life values and desires that one pursues. This book uncovers people's subjective experiences of consumption in the capitalist society with interesting inside stories ranging from politics to designer handbags.

The book also provides valuable consumer insights into business and individuals by going beyond the limitations of population statistics and demonstrates Q-methodology is used to analyse consumers' subjective responses. This book is an interesting take on how we should shift our focus from products to people and explains why identification and interpretations of different consumer groups are important in smart targeting. Its content will definitely inspire marketing strategies and market effectiveness.

Sang Min (Leo) Whang is a professor in the department of psychology at Yonsei University. He received his PhD in psychology from Harvard University. Dr. Whang’s main interests are the effects of socio-cultural circumstances on human behaviors and thoughts. His research interests cover multiple issues, including popular culture, digital media, consumer behavior, cyber space, online games, advertisements, image, and myth. However, much of his research explores the beliefs and common notions people have in daily life and identifies patterns of behavior in everyday contexts.