Materialistic Thoughts Trigger Impulsive Behavior
Wednesday, September 18th, 2013
The Journal of Consumer Research is a excellent source of insights into how our minds work. Why and how people buy things is the most studied forms of psychology on the planet. Many of the insights go beyond the context of making a purchase and are therefore useful to cognitive designers working in all areas.
Take for example the recent article on how entering lotteries might undermine self-control:
“The author investigated why materialism leads to poor self-control and found that materialistic thoughts are specific and concrete, and that the more materialistic thoughts a consumer has, the more likely he or she is to demonstrate a lack of self-control. Prior research has shown that when people’s minds are occupied with concrete thoughts, they tend to seek immediate gratification.”
This has clear implications for cognitive designers working in behavior change. You can access the entire article HERE.
