Source: Simonson, I., Carmon, Z., Dhar, R., Drolet, A., and Nowlis, S. M. (1976). Consumer research: in search of identity. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 249–75.

Abstract: Evaluates related literature on consumer research. Domain-specific topics and grand theories of consumer behaviour; Multidisciplinary influences on trends and camps in consumer research; Behaviour decision theory versus social cognition theories and their disciplinary influence on consumer research; Types of consumer research.

Insight: The study of how consumers behave as individuals and groups in the marketplace has been a dominant component of marketing research. This influential review paper, written by leading researchers in the field, summarizes important controversies in the field and explains the main streams of thought. It is a useful tool with which to navigate the intricate set of theories, frameworks, and models that comprise modern research about consumers. It sheds light on the importance of basic disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, economics, sociology, and ethnography to our understanding of consumer behaviour. It summarizes important unresolved challenges that characterize current research debates.

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