Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course provides an amicable introduction to the core concepts of statistics. Focusing on understanding and application this course is accessible to students without a strong mathematical background. Starting from the basics of understanding and describing quantitative information and probabilities, the course will cover the essential aspects of statistics, such as sampling theory, statistical inference, and null-hypothesis testing. Students will learn to use analytical software and acquire the ability to answer quantitative research questions using the appropriate techniques. Methods of analysis are oriented towards consumer research and include the study of group differences, relationships, and multivariate analyses. Strengthening skills to read, evaluate, and communicate the results of statistical analyses will enhance students' ability to use quantitative data in a meaningful way. Students will become familiar with the use of basic mathematical notations and learn to solve simple problem sets linked to statistical questions.

Description of the teaching methods

The course will combine on-campus and online lectures with supervised campus and online exercises. Blended learning elements will be used to foster student engagement and provide learning feedback. With its focus on application and basic understanding, methods will be taught hands-on using software in class and exercises. Students will receive an introduction into the use of these tools in a dedicated workshop. Participants are expected to actively engage with the problem-solving exercises within class and at home, as well as pre-class preparation by reading the respective texts and following the online materials. Continuous assessment will support student learning and provide guidance regarding their progress towards mastering the learning objectives.

Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course in Consumer Insights and Behavioural Studies combines three main learning elements: (1) the course provides students an advanced understanding of how consumers behave by introducing the most relevant theories of consumer behaviour; (2) it gives an overview of essential quantitative research methods to study this behavior; and (3) it provides students with experience in applying the theories and methods, i.e. students conduct their own consumer research project as part of this course.The course will introduce new perspectives on human behaviour from the fields of behavioural economics, consumer behaviour, and psychology, with a particular focus on sustainable consumption and respective theories and empirical examples. Beyond these theoretical advancements, the course will provide students the ability to conduct consumer research by providing students with a profound understanding of the entire research process and introduce the most important research methods focusing on a quantitative approach (i.e. surveys and experiments and the respective sampling and data analysis methods). In practical sessions, students will learn to apply the methods of consumer research (sampling, data collection, and data analysis) to specific research problems regarding consumer behaviour in the physical as well as in the digital world. Students will apply these capabilities in a student-driven research project. Guided by the teachers, students will formulate their research questions to generate novel insights through research, propose a research design to study the problem, and draw conclusions based on the project’s results. The course will also enable students to conduct responsible research by providing students with an overview of relevant ethical considerations surrounding consumer research. Students will become acquainted with documenting their research process and clearly describing their results and methodology in a written report as well as in an oral exam. Through group projects and assignments, students will gain additional skills in team work.

Description of the teaching methods

Aiming to provide students with the capability to conduct consumer research on their own, this course combines (limited) on campus and online lectures, practical workshops, assignments and blended learning elements. For the exam, students will write a research report. Reports are usually written in groups of 3-4 students and require students to organize, plan and coordinate a consumer research project as a team. This includes the formulation of a research question, conducting a literature review, selection of a theoretical framework, developing a research design, collecting and analyzing data, and academic write up of the results and their discussion. The report and oral presentation will require students to summarize and interpret their findings and distill novel insights and knowledge gained from their own research inquiry.

Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course in Consumer Insights and Behavioural Studies combines three main learning elements: (1) the course provides students an advanced understanding of how consumers behave by introducing the most relevant theories of consumer behaviour; (2) it gives an overview of essential quantitative research methods to study this behavior; and (3) it provides students with experience in applying the theories and methods, i.e. students conduct their own consumer research project as part of this course.The course will introduce new perspectives on human behaviour from the fields of behavioural economics, consumer behaviour, and psychology, with a particular focus on sustainable consumption and respective theories and empirical examples. Beyond these theoretical advancements, the course will provide students the ability to conduct consumer research by providing students with a profound understanding of the entire research process and introduce the most important research methods focusing on a quantitative approach (i.e. surveys and experiments and the respective sampling and data analysis methods). In practical sessions, students will learn to apply the methods of consumer research (sampling, data collection, and data analysis) to specific research problems regarding consumer behaviour in the physical as well as in the digital world. Students will apply these capabilities in a student-driven research project. Guided by the teachers, students will formulate their research questions to generate novel insights through research, propose a research design to study the problem, and draw conclusions based on the project’s results. The course will also enable students to conduct responsible research by providing students with an overview of relevant ethical considerations surrounding consumer research. Students will become acquainted with documenting their research process and clearly describing their results and methodology in a written report as well as in an oral exam. Through group projects and assignments, students will gain additional skills in team work.

Description of the teaching methods

Aiming to provide students with the capability to conduct consumer research on their own, this course combines (limited) on campus and online lectures, practical workshops, assignments and blended learning elements. For the exam, students will write a research report. Reports are usually written in groups of 3-4 students and require students to organize, plan and coordinate a consumer research project as a team. This includes the formulation of a research question, conducting a literature review, selection of a theoretical framework, developing a research design, collecting and analyzing data, and academic write up of the results and their discussion. The report and oral presentation will require students to summarize and interpret their findings and distill novel insights and knowledge gained from their own research inquiry.

Aim

This course helps qualitative-inclined PhD students to develop some fundamental quantitative analysis skills, using a user-friendly statistical software like Stata. The course is useful either for students who want to enrich their qualitative-oriented PhD thesis with some quantitative analysis, or for students who want to have a deeper understanding of some relevant empirical literature which based on quantitative methods. The course covers all the most fundamental topics of introductory statistics, teaches the appropriate analytical techniques for different types of data, and trains students to run their own analyses in Stata, both independently and in groups.
This course teaches students how to use specific statistical tools within a general empirical method that helps them to complement qualitative approaches. This will equip students with the skills to deal with the current and future challenges of conducting social science research at the doctoral and post-doctoral level.

Content

1.  An Introduction to the General Empirical Method.

2. Types of variables and descriptive statistics

3. Introduction to Stata (enter data, clean data, writing procedures, data preparation)

4. Estimation and explanation of statistical models (t-tests, correlation analysis, simple linear regression, multiple regression)

5. Interpretation of results and critical reflection on their validity Class discussions and/or individual sessions on the application of quantitative methods to individual research questions