Applying psychological theory to online consumer behavior

Semester

Semester 2, 2024-2025

Type of course

Methodological and Practical Courses

Date

April 17 and April 24, 2025

Location

Online Dialogue's office in Utrecht

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Duration

2 days

Maximum number of participants

16

ECTS

1 EC will be appointed for participation in the complete course

Staff

Isabella Klaassens (Online Dialogue); Joost Baalbergen (Online Dialogue)

Content 

Applying psychological theory to online consumer behavior

 How useful are social psychological insights in “the real world”? During their PhD, candidates acquire in-depth knowledge of many interesting social psychological processes and behaviors. However, it may not always be clear if and how these insights are valued outside the lab and the university. In this course, PhD candidates will experience how useful their skills and knowledge are to business professionals. For this course, KLI joined forces with Online Dialogue (www.onlinedialogue.com), one of the leading experts in ‘evidence-based growth’. Online Dialogue uses psychological insights, data, and experimentation to improve online environments and help companies achieve their goals. The goal of this course is twofold: First, candidates will help organizations solve questions by using psychological knowledge. Second, candidates will get a taste of working in an applied setting. This will provide them with a renewed appreciation of the value of their skills and knowledge in non-academic settings.

This is a two-day course. During this course, PhD candidates will work on real business cases, with live websites from real and current clients. Example cases are: 

1) An energy company offers different contracts for varying energy needs. Customers have to compare many factors like cost per kWh for electricity and m3 gas, back delivery costs from solar panels, and variable prices versus longer-term contracts with fixed tariffs. What are the psychological consequences of this complexity and what are the best ways to help visitors with varying needs to find the best solution for them? 

2) A large media company is struggling with selling its subscription services. What are the best ways to let visitors pay for their products? For example, how and when should a paywall be presented to newspaper readers? What are the differences between people who prefer to read the newspaper from paper versus online? 

Day 1 - CRO & case introduction 

On the first day, PhD candidates will learn about the organizational field of conversion rate optimization - CRO for short. Candidates will be introduced to the business cases they will be working on during this course. A large part of the day is dedicated to working on their case in small groups. Based on psychological literature, they will come up with a psychological framework to provide a better understanding of the organizational problem they aim to solve. At the end of the afternoon, the groups will present their initial findings. They will get feedback, which helps them select their most promising lines of thought to focus on for the remainder of the course. Day 1 will end with informal drinks (optional) where everyone can share their experiences and PhD candidates can network with behavioral experts, developers, UX designers, data analysts, and strategists. During this moment, they can gather insights into career alternatives outside of academia. 

Day 2 - case presentation 

The morning will be dedicated to working together in small groups to come up with a final report. At the end of the day, they will pitch their ideas and recommendations to the Online Dialogue team, consisting of behavioral experts, UX designers, developers, and data analysts. During this presentation, they will answer the following questions: What was the specific problem they tried to solve? What kind of insights were gathered from the psychological literature? How can this be applied to the specific case they have been working on? What kind of practical advice can they provide to the clients? How can these advices be transformed to testable hypotheses? By presenting their reports, the PhD candidates will learn how to bridge the gap between theory and practice. They will be challenged to explain theoretical knowledge in a way that is useful for business. 

Time schedule 

Day 1: 

9:30 - 10:00 Arrival. Coffee & Tea 

10:00 - 11:00 Welcome & Introduction to Online Consumer Behavior & Online Dialogue 

11:00 - 12:30 Two client cases 

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch 

13:30 - 16:00 Work on cases in small groups 

16:00 - 17:00 Presentation of preliminary cases

(> 17:00 Drinks - optional) 

Day 2: 

9:30 - 10:00 Arrival. Coffee & Tea 

10:00 - 10:30 Welcome & Prioritizing cases & Recap 

10:30 - 12:00 Work on cases in small groups 

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch 

13:00 - 15:00 Work on presentation in small groups 

15:00 - 16:30 Presentation of case reports 

16:30 - 17:00 Wrap-up formal part 

> 17:00 Informal get together 

Learning goals 

Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry: 

• Experience working in an applied setting to gain appreciation for the value of academic skills in business contexts. 
• Analyze complex business cases using psychological frameworks to develop evidence-based solutions. 
• Explore the interplay between user behavior, website design, and business objectives. 
• Create testable hypotheses that can guide experimentation and decision-making in real-world business contexts. 
• Learn to frame advice in ways that align with the goals and constraints of businesses.

Preparation 

• Read the Business Cases 
• Visit the client’s websites 
• Find and bring at least two articles that are relevant for the cases (e.g., a total minimum of four relevant articles) 
• Sign NDA * 

About two weeks before the course, students will get an update on the cases that they will be working on.

*Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) 

Given that PhD candidates will be privy to confidential organizational information (e.g., strategical plans, profits, competitive advantages), they need to sign an NDA in order to be able to participate in this course. 

Quotes from previous participants 

• “It was refreshing to apply theoretical knowledge to a real-life practical case (i.e., one of Online Dialogue’s actual clients) and to think about how to best to disseminate this knowledge to a (predominantly) non-academic audience.” 
• “I liked that the course took place at Online Dialogue’s own location. Everyone I met who worked at the organisation was very welcoming towards us and eager to see what insights we came up with. This really helped us immerse ourselves in the culture of the organisation and get a feel for what it is like to work in such a stimulating environment.” 
• “The course helped me gain insight into how the research skills I have developed over the past years can be applied beyond the realm of academia. It led me to realise my value as a researcher outside of academia and how my skills can be an asset to businesses as well.”