This book investigates the fundamental question of how environmental and biological variables interact to dictate consumer choice within a market context. Gordon R. Foxall, a prominent scholar in consumer psychology, utilizes the Behavioral Perspective Model (BPM) to bridge the gap between traditional economic theory and behavioral analysis. By synthesizing operant conditioning principles with marketing research, the author provides a framework that explains consumer behavior as a function of both utilitarian and informational reinforcement. The text argues that understanding the consumer requires a shift from purely cognitive models toward an analysis of the reinforcement history and the immediate situational context of the purchase.

Experts in the field of marketing and behavioral science recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the operant roots of consumer decision-making. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a solid grasp of behavioral psychology terminology to fully appreciate the author's arguments.