By Yedidya Schechter
In our everyday lives, we make hundreds of decisions that are influenced by a myriad of factors. We decide what to eat, say, wear, and how to act in different scenarios. These choices can be explained by the principles of motivational psychology, which studies motivators of human behavior and decision-making.
Motivational decision-making is crucial in the dynamic realm of consumer behavior and marketing, which is intricately entwined with the complexities of human psychology. For every shopping experience, online or in person, many factors go into aspects of pricing, product placement, and advertising that guide subconscious purchase decisions.
A study published by Michael Solomon in his book, Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective, highlights the importance of understanding psychological needs, demonstrating that when marketers tap into these motivations, the product resonates more with consumers, increasing brand loyalty and trust. For example, as consumers know about the product and its competitors, they increasingly believe that they have complete autonomy over their purchasing decision and subsequently feel more positively toward their final choice.
Additionally, certain marketing tactics can influence neural activity directly. According to collected data, a product’s price impacts the brain’s calculations associated with enjoyment, affecting the consumers’ purchase satisfaction. A famous study was done in which participants were given several wines to drink and were told that each was a different price when, in reality, all the wines were identical. However, when asked to rate the wines, there was a strong correlation between a high rating and those who believed the wine was priced high.
From the results of this study, it is clear that price, more than quality, is a huge motivational factor in what one chooses to buy and even what one enjoys on a neural level. Perhaps this can be attributed to the principle of cognitive dissonance, which explains that because you bought something for more than it’s worth, you must convince yourself to glean more enjoyment from it. Regardless, the marketing world can use this motivator to both increase prices, increase sales, and increase consumer enjoyment and satisfaction, a triple win for the supplier.
Further research combines these ideas about the familiarity of the product with ideas on the neural enjoyment level regarding the product we are consuming. Through experimentation, researchers concluded that knowing you are quenching your thirst with a brand you enjoy makes the consumption experience significantly more enjoyable. Just the knowledge of the brand of a culturally familiar drink, such as Coca-Cola, increases experienced pleasantness and thus motivates individual consumers to buy Coca-Cola.
Drawing on psychological insights we can see many motivational factors are at the cognitive and emotional underpinnings of consumer decision-making. Marketers who embrace a nuanced understanding of motivational psychology can create strategies that resonate authentically with consumers, fostering brand loyalty and driving successful marketing campaigns.