Factors in System 1 (Emotional/Impulsive) vs. System 2 (Rational/Conscious) Decision-Making
It’s true that human beings often make decisions based on emotion, impulse, and non-conscious automatic behavior. But there are occasions when conscious, rational thinking takes the lead. We challenged ChatGPT to explain what factors determine this. The AI offered 6 scenarios, but ACUPOLL has identified 2 more.
Key Conclusions
These are based on 2018 ACUPOLL research and ChatGPT AI, which draw similar conclusions; dialogue excerpt shown below
Both non-conscious ”System 1” impulse/emotion and “System 2” rational/conscious thought play a critical role in decision-making
ChatGPT identified 6 scenarios when we tend to rely more on rational System 2 thinking:
When decisions are more complex and we need to analyze/apply reason
When we’re less familiar with a situation or decision and can’t act on auto-pilot (e.g. habit) or intuition
When we’re less time-pressured and stakes are high (which allows System 2 conscious thought opportunity and motive to engage)
When emotions are more moderate (or, we’d add, in categories that are inherently more logical, like choosing a product for specific symptoms or a food based on ingredient/nutritional facts, not image-driven categories like fashion or fine fragrance)
When decisions involve personal goals or values, which cause our conscious mind to input more into decisions
When cognitive load is low and you have mental energy available to think through options
ACUPOLL previously identified two additional factors that determine when conscious/thoughtful decisions occur more often:
When we’re deciding by ourselves and not in a social context where we feel judged (e.g. when people are drinking alcohol with others, System 1 emotions increase their influence on brand choices)
When situational context favors System 2 (e.g. no distractions, no pressure from salespeople or promotional nudges, a manageable number of choices, easy comparisons, a thoughtful/browsing shopping experience rather than a grab-and-go trip, etc.)
Connect with us to learn more about how to measure both impulsive and conscious/ rational reactions to positionings, messaging, claims, packaging, and ads!
Click here to read our previous conversation with ChatGPT about how much of our decision-making is rational versus emotional.
ChatGPT debunks “95% of decisions are non-conscious”
According to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, “95% of our purchase decision-making takes place in the subconscious mind,” implying that emotions are what really drive purchasing behavior, and decision-making in general. We challenged ChatGPT on this statistic… and actually changed its “mind.”
Key Conclusions
These are based on both ACUPOLL’s research and dialogue with ChatGPT ... when we dug deeper and won it over to our POV!
Harvard Business School Professor Gerald Zaltman is the original source for this quote
The 95% is an estimate – not the result of a particular study – as % non-conscious cannot even be measured
When pressed, Zaltman and ChatGPT both acknowledge that the conscious mind still plays a critical role in decision-making (despite the impression one gets from hearing 95%!)
Rational thought is particularly important in analyzing information, weighing options, and making choices – especially in later stages of decision-making – all things that can happen at times when buying, at the shelf, showroom, restaurant, or when online
The interplay between conscious and non-conscious is complex, and both emotional and rational inputs to decision-making operate in tandem
That’s why it’s critical to use research tools that measure both “System 1” impulse/emotion AND “System 2” rational reactions
Read our dialogue with ChatGPT below and see how it changes its “mind!”
Then connect with us to learn more about how to put this learning to use.
Click here to see ChatGPT’s response to our follow-up question about when rational thought outweighs emotion and impulse.