Evolution and consumer psychology

Abstract

An evolutionary theoretical approach considers the adaptive function of behavior.Here we discuss what it means to use an evolutionary approach to generate predictions about consumer behavior and the value of applying an evolutionary lens to the study of consumer psychology. We begin with a discussion of the core insights of evolutionary theory and the common misperceptions associated with an evolutionary approach to the study of behavior. We then detail how specific evolutionarily informed theories can be applied to four core areas of consumer research: risk preference, competition and luxury consumption, self-control and temporal preferences, and the consumer behavior of women and families. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of an evolutionarily informed research program. K E Y W O R D Sevolutionary psychology, luxury consumption, natural selection, risk, self-control | INTRODUCTIONPicture it. The year is 2027. A spacecraft descends upon on a modern shopping mall carrying an alien behavioral scientist sent to collect data on Earthlings. The alien enters a store full of a dizzying array of opulent trinkets foreign to her eyes. She settles in to record observations and attempt to make sense of the smells, sights, and peculiar Earthling behaviors-from the aroma of heavily scented liquids being sprayed on passersby to women perched upon elevated chairs while heavy paint is applied to their faces. This alien would likely wonder what (on earth) is going on.Like our alien visitor, Charles Darwin was similarly puzzled by many of the strange characteristics and behaviors of the beings he encountered in his travels around the world. Darwin became a detective of behavior and through decades of observations formulated the theory of natural selection (Darwin, 1859). Darwin's theory became the unifying theory of behavior-guiding research in the life sciences. The theory of natural selection is a meta-theory that helps us understand the characteristics and behaviors of all living organisms, including humans.Today this interdisciplinary framework is the bridge between the social and the life sciences, regularly incorporated into modern psychology, anthropology, and other behavioral sciences.So how might an alien scientist seek to make sense of the strange behaviors in a 21st-century shopping mall? If she was anything like Charles Darwin, she would start with a simple question: What adaptive function might behavior serve?This question is the starting point for anyone seeking to understand modern behavior in an evolutionarily informed way. Here we discuss what it means to take an evolutionary approach to understanding consumer psychology and highlight the benefits of incorporating this approach in consumer research. We discuss relevant theories and findings and offer suggestions for easy ways to incorporate an evolutionary perspective into the study of consumer psychology.One important note before we begin: Applying an evolutionarily informed lens does not mean throwing away other approaches to consumer resear...

A contemporary review of three types of social influence in consumer psychology

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Not so social: When social media increases perceptions of exclusions and negatively affects attitudes toward content

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Are identical twins more similar in their decision making styles than their fraternal counterparts?

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