Reading: Psychological Factors
Consumer Decisions and the Workings of the Psyche
When we talk about psychological factors that influence consumer decisions, we are referring to the workings of the mind or psyche: motivation, learning and socialization, attitudes, and beliefs.
Motivation
A motive is the inner drive or pressure to take action to satisfy a need. Motivation varies across situations: a high school junior may have low motivation in trigonometry but high motivation to excel at a video game.
For a purchase decision to occur, the need must be strong enough to become a motive. Motivation can be triggered by:
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Internal factors (e.g., hunger),
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Environmental cues (e.g., seeing an ad),
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Psychological triggers (e.g., imagining food).
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
One of the most widely used theories of motivation is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He proposed five levels of needs, progressing from basic survival to higher emotional fulfillment.[1]
Maslow emphasized that while needs build on one another, people may experience multiple needs simultaneously.
Marketers can target campaigns at different levels of this hierarchy depending on consumer priorities.
| Level | Description | Marketing Example |
|---|---|---|
| Physiological | Hunger, thirst, shelter | In-N-Out Burger billboards featuring giant cheeseburgers |
| Safety & Security | Protection from harm, financial stability, health | Insurance ads, bank guarantees |
| Love & Belonging | Friendship, intimacy, social connection | P&G’s Thank You Mom Olympic campaign |
| Self-Esteem | Respect, recognition, self-image | Luxury brands emphasizing status |
| Self-Actualization | Realizing full potential, creativity, fulfillment | Nike’s Play New campaign encouraging growth |
Nike’s “Play New” commercial encouraging people to try new things and to never give up on improving themselves is an example of self-actualization.
Learning and Socialization
Learning is the process by which behaviour changes due to experience.
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Experiential learning: Direct experience (e.g., tasting wine and deciding you like/dislike it).
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Non-experiential learning: Indirect learning (e.g., reading reviews, watching tutorials).
Marketing frequently leverages non-experiential learning via testimonials, reviews, and influencer endorsements.
Reinforcement strengthens learning through positive or negative outcomes. For example, if a consumer loves their Subaru and finds it reliable, the positive experience reinforces brand loyalty.
Socialization occurs when people adopt behaviours through interaction with others. Socialization agents can include parents, friends, celebrities, or even co-workers.
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Modeling: Teens adopting Adidas because their peers wear it.
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Reinforcement: A compliment reinforces fashion choices.
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Social Interaction: Word-of-mouth exchanges that shape attitudes.
Marketers often employ credible spokespeople (e.g., LeBron James for Nike) to act as role models. [2]
Attitudes and Beliefs
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A belief is a conviction about something (“dark chocolate is bitter”).
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An attitude is a consistent evaluation combining belief, feeling, and behaviour (“dark chocolate is delicious, makes me happy, and I eat it daily”).
Attitudes and beliefs are powerful drivers of consumer decisions. Sometimes they create challenges for marketers, as seen in:
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The Diet Pepsi syringe hoax (1993), which PepsiCo countered with strong PR efforts.
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The Cinnamon Toast Crunch shrimp incident (2021), where public attitudes were influenced as much by online speculation as by the brand’s response.
Attitudes do not always equal behaviours: a consumer who dislikes Pizza Hut may still go along with friends for social reasons.
Marketers can:
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Try to change attitudes, though this is difficult.
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Adapt products to align with existing attitudes, often an easier strategy.
They may also find windows of opportunity during product redesigns or new launches, when consumers are more open to change.[3]
Creation note: This content was updated with the assistance of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, and was subsequently reviewed and edited by the author for clarity and accuracy.
