The Perils of Equating System 1 with Emotion and Irrationality

Planet Research has been abuzz with talk of consumer irrationality, tales of the rule of one system and the ills of the research industry. Clarity around behavioral science insights and their implications is essential for market and social research practitioners and all those interested in influencing choice and behavior. But what does the research actually show?

Although inconsistencies in how consumers form preferences are numerous, the reality is that emotions and "fast and frugal" short-cuts don't necessarily lead to irrational outcomes. Moreover, in today's digital world, devices enable consumers to sub-contract system 2 `hard-thinking' - in particular, evaluation, product comparisons and reviews.

Learn more about the four principles of consumer behavior that make rationality work using emotion and hard thinking in our latest Behavioral Science paper.

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The author(s)

  • Pascal Bourgeat, Ph.D
    Director Behavioural Science

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