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How To Start A Career In Consumer Psychology

How To Start A Career In Consumer Psychology

Olamide Olorunsuyi

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Who is a Consumer Psychologist?

Consumer Psychology is the study of human behaviour as consumers and also the study of the communication techniques and marketing strategy used to control and sway consumers’ decisions.

Consumer Psychologists explore the psychological state of humans to understand the reason behind their preference for a particular product. In short, consumer psychologists tries to understand the sentiments of consumers.

A consumer psychologist’s sole role and duty are to know exactly a consumer’s perception of a product by understanding the persona of a customer. This is achieved by studying and researching the customer’s conduct and actions and what influences their decisions.

Skills and Qualifications Required To Become a Consumer Psychologist

Consumer Psychologists are often required to possess a sharp sense of conviction to plan and organise projects. And Paying attention to details is a key factor to successfully crying out projects. Also, a consumer psychologist must have the ability to build and maintain a relationship with consumers.

Here are some of the major skills required to have a successful career in consumer psychology:

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is one of the major skills needed to become a consumer psychologist. A consumer psychologist must be able to think outside the box, they must be able to think of solutions to problems almost immediately when the problem occurs.

Communication

Communication is the key to a successful relationship. When it comes to consumers, they want to be able to communicate with people, especially marketers to know what they want to purchase and why they should purchase a particular product.

Writing

While a consumer psychologist should be able to communicate effectively verbally and orally, they must also be able to communicate by writing. There may be times the consumer would rather read through a document than listen directly to a marker. The written document must be able to provide clear and useful information to the consumer.

Time Management

Time management is a required skill for a consumer psychologist, they must be able to manage time to meet up with scheduled appointments and not take too much of a consumer’s time.

Research

A consumer psychologist must be able to research the consumer, they must be able to provide details on the behaviour of a consumer and on why consumers behave in a certain way. They must also be able to research what will make a consumer satisfied and happy.

Problem Solving

One of the most important qualities required of a consumer psychologist is problem-solving ability. They must be able to attend to consumer’s needs and solve problems with tact and ingenuity.

Analysis

A consumer psychologist must be able to analyze consumer behaviour as to why they choose a particular product and the reasons behind their choice they chose the product. A consumer psychologist must be able to analyze the situation of things.

Educational Requirements Needed To Start a Career in Consumer Psychology

Bachelor’s degree
A student does not necessarily need to study consumer psychology as an undergraduate degree, however, it is advisable to study a course related to human psychology.
Masters Degree
Some schools require students to enrol in a master’s degree before proceeding to a doctorate while some school allows a doctorate after undergraduate if certain conditions are met. A student who already has an undergraduate certificate in the human psychology-related course can proceed to a master’s degree in consumer psychology. A student with an undergraduate degree with a course not related to psychology will have to do a postgraduate diploma course in consumer psychology before proceeding to a master’s degree in consumer psychology.
Doctorate Degree A consumer psychologist might opt-in for a doctorate in consumer psychology.

Here are some universities you can apply to for a postgraduate degree in Consumer psychology:

Social and Consumer Psychology, New York University

Social and Consumer Psychology focuses on the psychological factors influencing consumer behaviour, including purchase behaviour, the effect of social influence, information processing of product/marketing messages, motivating goal and decision making, and assessment of marketing and advertising communication effectiveness. How organizations manage brands and situational change through leadership, structure and processes is also addressed.

The unique combination of NYU’s resources enables students to study social psychology and consumer behavior from a research perspective. Access to courses and faculty in other departments and schools within NYU allows a student to select and prepare for different career directions.

Marketing and Consumer Psychology, University of Sussex

Students will learn how to evaluate the theories, concepts, tools and models used in marketing practice and understanding consumer decision making, apply consumer psychology theories to interpret consumer behaviour, use analytical skills to assess the choices consumers make and they will also learn to make informed judgements on the use of key analytical and decision-making techniques in developing and appraising marketing strategies.

Consumer Behaviour, De Montfort University

Consumer Behaviour focuses on how consumers navigate modern society. This module explores the psychological processes that occur before, during and after a product/service is consumed. As such, the module investigates the internal factors (e.g. motives, attitudes, perceptions, personality, self-concept) and external factors (e.g. culture, reference groups) that drive behaviour within consumer domains. The module also explores the two-way relationship between consumers and society at large.

Business Psychology, University of Hertfordshire

The programme is designed for students who wish to acquire the skills and knowledge that will enable them to apply psychological principles within the business world. The course will appeal equally to those with a business or psychology background. Graduates are equipped for a variety of careers including human resource practitioners or careers in consultancy and business psychology.

Top Universities in the USA, UK, and Canada to Study Consumer Psychology:

USA
The University of Alabama
California State University
The Ohio State University
The State University of New York at Oswego
Lim College
Stephen F Austin State university
San Francisco State University

UK
University of Sussex
University of Reading
Bangor University
Heriot-watt University
Goldsmith University of London

CANADA
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
McGill University
University of Toronto
Yoke University
Queen’s University

For more insights on universities that you can apply to for a degree in Consumer Psychology, please click here to chat with our education counsellors.