Time and place: May 17–19, 2027. Daily schedule approximately 09:00–17:00, Aalto University School of Business, Otaniemi campus, Espoo, Finland. The course is designed as an on-site, three-day intensive doctoral seminar with pre-course readings and post-course written work.
Learning goal and objectives: The course helps doctoral students use consumer psychology concepts to theorise contemporary consumption phenomena and develop stronger, more discriminating explanations in their own research.
The course addresses:
- how to apply fundamental consumer psychology theories to contemporary marketplace phenomena;
- how to translate a broad or descriptive consumption phenomenon into a psychologically specified, theory-driven research question;
- how to identify multiple plausible explanations for an observed relationship and determine what evidence would help distinguish between competing theoretical accounts.
By the end of the course, students will be able to refine their own doctoral projects by developing a credible consumer psychology interpretation of their research phenomenon and identifying appropriate ways to evaluate the proposed explanation.
Instruction and examination: The course combines lectures, instructor-led discussions of readings, and research-development clinics. The instructors will introduce consumer psychology concepts relevant to each course theme and guide students in critically discussing recent and influential consumer research articles assigned before the course. During the paper discussions, particular attention will be given to construct clarity, the role of individual studies in building a comprehensive body of evidence for a proposed psychological mechanism, the identification and evaluation of alternative explanations, and the logic of theoretical contribution.
Broadly, the course will examine contemporary consumer behaviour in emerging contexts such as AI-enabled and algorithmically mediated decision making, consumer experience in digital and social-media environments, and sustainable, ethical, and circular consumption practices. The course may also address related issues such as inequality, consumer vulnerability, and other moralised marketplace situations. The assigned papers will be used to introduce and connect relevant consumer psychology perspectives, including theories related to judgment and decision making, identity and social signalling, agency and perceived autonomy. For example, research on how consumers react to favourable and unfavourable decisions made by humans versus algorithms could connect an algorithmic context with attribution and inference making and, more broadly, judgment and decision making.
The exact papers and the division of content between instructors will be finalised jointly before the course and may be adjusted to reflect the admitted students’ backgrounds and research interests.
For the final individual assessment, students will submit a short research proposal after the course. They may develop this from their own doctoral research or from a separate course-related idea. The proposal should identify a contemporary consumption phenomenon, apply a relevant consumer psychology perspective, consider at least one plausible alternative explanation, and outline how the proposed mechanism could be evaluated.
Credits: 5 ECTS
Grading: Passed / Failed. Passing the course requires attendance throughout the intensive seminar, satisfactory completion of the pre-course preparation and a satisfactory final individual written assignment. The written assignment will be evaluated based on conceptual clarity, accurate use of consumer psychology theory, the credibility of the competing explanation, the quality of the proposal for evaluating the hypothesised mechanism, and appropriate acknowledgement of limitations.
Prerequisites: The course is intended for doctoral students in business studies and related disciplines. Participants should have prior familiarity with academic journal articles and a basic understanding of social-scientific research design. No prior specialization in consumer psychology is required, but participants should have a clear research interest in consumer behavior, marketing, or adjacent topics.
Application and admission: A maximum of 20 doctoral students will be admitted. Selection will follow KATAJA guidelines and consider applicants’ fit with the course.
To apply, please email the following information to the course coordinator, Ceren Şahin (ceren.sahin@aalto.fi):
- Personal information: Name, email, university, department, doctoral program, and year of enrolment.
- Research topic: Briefly describe your dissertation topic, main research questions, and current stage of research.
- Methodological background: What research methods have you studied or used (e.g., experiments, surveys, qualitative methods)?
- Consumer psychology background: Have you taken any relevant courses or worked with consumer psychology theories or concepts?
- Motivation: Why would you like to attend this course, and how would it support your doctoral research?
Application deadline: April 4, 2027
Notification of admission: April 12, 2027
Instructors:
- Ceren Sahin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Aalto University School of Business
Homepage: https://www.aalto.fi/en/people/ceren-sahin
Ceren Sahin is a consumer behaviour researcher whose work examines hedonic experiences, consumer inference and judgment, and ethical consumption. Her recent publication in the Journal of Consumer Research examines how framing can increase attention to a hedonic experience and thereby enhance enjoyment. She also conducts research on social judgments of green behaviour, including how consumer income shapes the social value attributed to acting sustainably, as well as on judgment and decision-making processes in ethical consumption contexts.
- Robert Smith, Associate Professor of Marketing, Tilburg University (International instructor)
Homepage: https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/staff/r-w-smith
Robert Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing at Tilburg School of Economics and Management. His research examines consumer behaviour, particularly consumption enjoyment, decision making, metacognitive inference, and the ways in which consumers learn about themselves. His work has appeared in leading journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, and International Journal of Research in Marketing. Dr. Smith brings international expertise in consumer behaviour teaching as he has taught PhD-level courses in consumer behaviour, specifically the topics related to behavioural decision making.
Course coordinator and contact information: Ceren Şahin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Aalto University School of Business. E-mail: ceren.sahin@aalto.fi