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Consumer Decision-Making unit (BMA604)

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Location: Hobart, Online

Introduction

For marketers, understanding how buyers and consumers behave is an integral part of correctly identifying their needs, and developing effective marketing strategies. Buyers often go through decision-making processes before making a purchase or making a decision to continue to buy and to consume a product or service. Thus, consumer decision-making, and the popular use of the term consumer behaviour, refers to the decision-making processes and behaviours of consumers.

Understanding consumer behaviour enables marketing managers to critically analyse their potential or current target markets and design strategies tailored to meet their needs. The focus of this unit is on developing students knowledge of consumer decision-making processes and the factors that influence consumers decisions, purchases and consumption of products and services.

The unit will help students identify, synthesise and critically evaluate how consumers perceive marketing stimuli and make decisions to purchase. The unit will develop students theoretical and applied knowledge of consumer behaviour theories and concepts in order to analyse, explain and predict consumers behaviour. The unit will help students to identify what stimuli marketers can use to influence consumers decision-making, purchase and consumption.

Summary

Unit name Consumer Decision-Making
Unit code BMA604
Credit points 12.5
College/School Tasmanian School of Business and Economics
Discipline Marketing
Coordinator Doctor Lin Yang
Delivered By University of Tasmania and Third Party(ies): ECA
Level Postgraduate

Sustainable Development Goals

The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.

Availability

Location Study period Attendance options Available to
Hobart Semester 2 This unit is available through on-campus delivery Available to International Students Available to Domestic Students
Online Semester 2 This unit is available through off-campus delivery Available to International Students Available to Domestic Students
  • Key:
  • This unit is available through on-campus delivery On-campus
  • This unit is available through off-campus delivery Off-Campus
  • Available to International Students International students
  • Available to Domestic Students Domestic students
Note

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Key Dates

Study Period Start date Census date WW date End date
Semester 2 5/7/2026 27/7/2026 30/8/2026 24/10/2026

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2026 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2026 will be available from the 1st October 2025. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain consumer decision-making behaviour theories and concepts.
  • Critically evaluate marketing actions and strategies in relation to consumer decision-making.
  • Analyse the role of sustainable and non-sustainable consumer behaviour in marketing.

Fee Information

Field of Education Commencing Student Contribution 1,3 Grandfathered Student Contribution 1,3 Approved Pathway Course Student Contribution 2,3 Domestic Full Fee 4
090799 $2,174.00 $1,020.00 $1,192.00 $3,284.00
  • Available as a Commonwealth Supported Place
  • HECS-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility3
  • FEE-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility4

1 Please refer to more information on student contribution amounts.
2 Please refer to more information on eligibility and Approved Pathway courses.
3 Please refer to more information on eligibility for HECS-HELP.
4 Please refer to more information on eligibility for FEE-HELP.

If you have any questions in relation to the fees, please contact UniConnect or more information is available on StudyAssist.

Please note: international students should refer to What is an indicative Fee? to get an indicative course cost.

Teaching

Teaching Pattern


 

AssessmentPresentation and Quiz (20%)|Final Exam (35%)|Assignment (45%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

Hoyer, W.D., MacInnis, D., Pieters, R., Chan, E. & Northey, G., 2020, Consumer Behaviour, Asia-Pacific Edition, 2nd ed., Cengage Learning, Australia.
Recommended

Mothersbaugh, D. L. & Hawkins, D. I., 2016, Consumer Behavior: building marketing strategy, 13th ed, McGraw-Hill, USA.

 

Quester, P., Pettigrew, S., Kopanidis, F., Rao Hill, S. & Hawkins, D., 2014, Consumer Behaviour: implications for marketing strategy, 7th ed, McGraw-Hill, North Ryde NSW.

 

Sethna, Z. & Blythe, J., 2016, Consumer Behaviour, 3rd ed, Sage, London, UK.

 

Schiffman, L., O'Cass, A., Paladino, A. & Carlson, J., 2014, Consumer behaviour, 6th ed, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

 

Solomon, MR 2013, Consumer behavior: buying, having and being, 10th ed, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

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