Concepts and Applications Blended: An Example

  

INSTRUMENTAL LEARNING

The second learning mechanism takes us to other animals. Psychologist B.F. Skinner experimented with pigeons. He built two doors in a pigeon feed box, one fake and one real. Peck on the fake one and nothing happens; peck on the real one and food grains fall out. After a few trials, the pigeons learned to peck on the correct door. This is instrumental learning (also called instrumental conditioning or operant conditioning)—a process where one learns to act in a certain way that is rewarding. That is, we learn a response because it is instrumental to obtaining a reward. This is the familiar way we get children to learn good behaviors—“eat your vegetables and you’ll get desert,” we tell them.

          This reward comes in two forms: extrinsic and intrinsic. An extrinsic reward is external to the product, e.g., coupons, sweepstakes, rebates, and loyalty programs such as frequent flyer or frequent hotel stay rewards. Cigna, an insurance company offers incentives to get its members to engage in pro-health behaviors. In contrast, an intrinsic reward is the reward built into the product itself—consumers learn to buy and use a product because they find the product itself rewarding. For example, we learn to use Bed Head shampoo because it renders our hair just the way we want, and we learn to drink Fruitopia because we savor its taste. We learn to visit the video game arcade Gameworks because we have a good time there, and to buy Twelve Girls Band’s new CDs because we find their music enchanting. 

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Excerpted from p. 93 

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Human Pursuit of Happiness in the World of Goods

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