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Conceptualizing Consciousness in Consumer Research

Author

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  • Lawrence E. Williams
  • T. Andrew Poehlman

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence E. Williams & T. Andrew Poehlman, 2017. "Conceptualizing Consciousness in Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(2), pages 231-251.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:44:y:2017:i:2:p:231-251.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jcr/ucw043
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    Cited by:

    1. Wörfel, Philipp, 2021. "Unravelling the intellectual discourse of implicit consumer cognition: A bibliometric review," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    2. Fuduric, Morana & Varga, Akos & Horvat, Sandra & Skare, Vatroslav, 2022. "The ways we perceive: A comparative analysis of manufacturer brands and private labels using implicit and explicit measures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 221-241.
    3. Li, Yadong & Guan, Zhenzhong & Ren, Jianbiao, 2023. "Channel coordination under retailer's (sub)conscious preferences of loss aversion and fairness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Manfred Bruhn & Andrea Gröppel-Klein & Manfred Kirchgeorg, 2023. "Managerial marketing and behavioral marketing: when myths about marketing management and consumer behavior lead to a misconception of the discipline," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 1055-1088, August.

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