TECHNOLOGY, TRUST, AND NEUROSCIENCE: EXPLORING FINTECH ADOPTION AMONG GEN X IN INDIA THROUGH A SOCIO-CULTURAL LENS

ABSTRACT Digital finance is transforming the economies of emerging markets, although the degree of adoption is vastly different across demographic groups. This study explores Generation X’s views from the context of urban India towards FinTech adoption and considers the moderating role of neuromarketing to examine these views. The study was developed off technology adoption models and supplemented with interdisciplinary views related towards cultural cognition, social identity, sociotechnical systems, and diffusion of innovation. Generation X is positioned as a strategic case to study technological adoption, and a structured survey was used to collect data. Analysis was through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and moderated analysis was with the PROCESS Macro. Findings, in short, suggest that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and trust are strong predictors of FinTech adoption for Generation X and subjective norm and attitudes were comparatively weaker predictors. Neuromarketing was identified as a strong moderator to predict FinTech adoption and involved the importance of the subconscious cognitive and emotional responses to financial decision-making. The discussion suggests the duality of neuromarketing in that despite its capacity to build human agency through a culture of inclusivity and trust, ethical risks exist by being manipulative. This study connects to the literature and frames adoption with neuromarketing and cultural approaches.