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Why Did I Buy That? – Uncovering Your Vulnerabilities as a Consumer
(Winter/ Spring 2007)

Knowledge is power.  The more you, as a consumer, know about yourself, the more power you have to make wise purchase decisions. Have you ever gone into Wal-Mart to buy a couple of items and come home after spending more than you care to admit?  Do you find yourself snatching up some product because it was on sale only to go home and realize you really didn’t need/want the product in the first place?  Did you ever wonder why your parents bought new furniture (or in some cases, a new and even larger house!) after you left for college?  You are not alone; and I can help.  The focus of this proposed consumer behavior special topics course is to uncover your vulnerabilities as consumers and discover how these traits impact your behavior.  As a result, you will learn how to become smarter consumers.

This course will help you to answer the question, “why did I buy that?”  Personal factors that previous students have found particularly interesting (personality traits, self-concepts, birth order, family structure, etc.) will be explored in relation to buying behavior. 

Topics will be discussed in an open, non-threatening environment to uncover your consumer vulnerabilities and to determine what steps you need to take to avoid becoming susceptible to marketing tactics.  While you may not change your purchasing habits based on this course, you will never look at shopping the same way again!