Conceptualizing Consciousness in Consumer Research
Lawrence E Williams, T Andrew Poehlman
Journal of Consumer Research · 2017 · Volume 44 · Issue 2
Abstract
An outsized focus on the explanatory value of conscious thought can constrain opportunities to more rigorously examine the influence of less obvious drivers of consumer behavior. This article proposes a more precise, disaggregated, and minimized perspective on consciousness, distinguishing it from other higher-order mental processes (i.e., deliberation, intentionality, control, and effort). A more circumscribed perspective on consciousness, we argue, facilitates attempts to examine the causal impact of low-level, biological, or otherwise unconscious influences, bringing these into the frame of inquiry. Accordingly, we outline how a reduced reliance on consciousness as an explanatory construct deepens inquiry into the processes guiding choice, self-control, and persuasion. Lastly, in a set of recommendations centering on theory, methods, and training, we suggest ways for consumer researchers to evaluate more critically whether the contents of consciousness play a meaningful role in driving behavior.
Keywords
consciousness, biological influences, theory building, research methods, data interpretation, training
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