Richard Gonzalez
Center Director, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research
Director, BioSocial Methods Collaborative, RCGD
Amos N Tversky Collegiate Professor, Psychology and Statistics, LSA
Professor of Marketing, Stephen M Ross School of Business
Professor of Integrative Systems and Design, College of Engineering
E-mail: | Email Richard Gonzalez |
Address: | Research Center for Group Dynamics Institute for Social Research University of Michigan 426 Thompson Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 |
Phone: | 734-647-6785 |
A thought paper on the role of decision neuroscience in understanding consumer decision making
This paper summarizes a four day workshop where the twelve co-authors discussed the future of decision neuroscience. We outline some initial contributions and point to some research directions. It was an engaging workshop with lots of new ideas.
Yoon, C., Gonzalez, R., Bechara, A., Berns, G., Dagher, A., Dube, L., Huettel, S., Kable, J., Liberzon, I., Plassmann, H., Smidts, A., & Spence, C. (2012). Decision neuroscience and consumer decision making. Marketing Letters, 23, 473-485.
doi:10.1007/s11002-012-9188-z PDF
Abstract
This article proposes that neuroscience can shape future theory and models in consumer decision making and suggests ways that neuroscience methods can be used in decision-making research. The article argues that neuroscience facilitates better theory development and empirical testing by considering the physiological context and the role of constructs such as hunger, stress, and social influence on consumer choice and preferences. Neuroscience can also provide new explanations for different sources of heterogeneity within and across populations, suggest novel hypotheses with respect to choices and underlying mechanisms that accord with an understanding of biology, and allow for the use of neural data to make better predictions about consumer behavior. The article suggests that despite some challenges associated with incorporating neuroscience into research on consumer decision processes, the use of neuroscience paradigms will produce a deeper understanding of decision making that can lead to the development of more effective decision aids and interventions.