Automatic Thinking as a Precursor for Consumer Decisions

Automatic thinking is a precursor for an individual’s actions and choices. Avoiding cognitive overload in a world that requires many micro-decisions every day is crucial and thus the brain relies on heuristics to efficiently deal with choices without conscious deliberation. Within consumer behavior, automatic thinking plays an integral role in determining purchases. This manifests through schemas based on familiarity and emotional associations. Marketers can capitalize on this tendency of automatic thinking through the strategic use of advertisement and product placements, priming consumers to favor certain brands over others. Techniques such as habituation and recency also aid in embedding consumer preferring and driving purchasing behavior. While automatic thinking can allow for fostering brand loyalty and making good decisions quickly, this reliance can also introduce biases. This review article aims to explore the psychological mechanisms underlying automatic consumer behavior, creating awareness in how marketing strategies can influence purchasing decisions.