ABSTRACT

                  “             All of us are consumers. We consume things of daily use, we also consume and buy these products according to our needs, preferences and buying power. what we buy, how we buy, where and when we buy,in how much quantity we buy depends on our perception, self-concept, social and cultural background. while buying, we also consider whether to buy or not to buy and, from which source or seller to buy. In some societies, there is a lot of affluence and these societies can afford to buy in greater quantities and at shorter intervals. in poor societies, the consumer can barely meet his barest needs. In order to develop a framework for the study consumer behavior it is helpful to begin by considering the evolution of the field of consumer research and the different paradigms of thought that have influenced the discipline. It is argued that consumer behavior itself emerged as a distinct field of study during the 1960s; and is characterized by two broad paradigms, the positivist and the non-positivist. The positivist paradigm, which is still the dominant paradigm, emphasizes the supremacy of human reason and that there is a single, objective truth that can be discovered by science. The opposing, non-positivist paradigm, envelops the interpretive and postmodern perspectives, which have emerged more recently during the period post-1980 to date. The rational view and the ideology of a homogenous social culture and thereby deny the complex social and cultural world in which consumers live. The objective of non-positivist research endeavor is to achieve a better understanding of consumer behaviorwith no specific intent to influence consumer processes. This article aims to identify different streams of thought that could guide future consumer research.

Keywords: consumer buying behavior, consumer research, conventional, attitudinal, situational.