Why Did I Buy This Thing?!?

A daily aspect that shows our malfunctioning brains is the way in which we react to advertisements and, in turn, the types of advertisements that are created. The psychology of buying often leads us down incorrect or suboptimal paths, and this is intentional on the part of vendors and marketers. The most important aspect they appeal to is our emotional, impulsive lizard brains. The majority of ads aren’t about products and features—that in itself tells you that something else is being appealed to.

The first way that our brains are lured into spending money is through Robert Cialdini’s six methods of mass persuasion: likability (you will buy from someone who charms you), social proof (you will buy if it is endorsed by others), reciprocity (you will buy if you feel an emotional debt to repay someone else), scarcity (you will buy based on the fear of missing out), authority (you will buy based on our tendency to listen to authority figures), and commitment (you will buy to honor a past commitment).

Gamification is a newer tool that is being used to create addictive reactions to products. In a nutshell, it occurs when you feel that you must spend money in order to advance yourself in some sort of game or level mechanic. In a sense, gamification takes your focus off of your wallet and puts it onto the game goal that you are chasing. In this way, we spend money like drinking water.

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Brain Blunders: Uncover Everyday Illusions and Fallacies, Defeat Your Flawed Thinking Habits, And Think Smarter (Or Just Less Stupidly) By Peter Hollins

Get the audiobook on Audible at https://bit.ly/brain-blunders

Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home

Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://www.PeteHollins.com to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.

For narration information visit Russell Newton at https://bit.ly/VoW-home

For production information visit Newton Media Group LLC at https://bit.ly/newtonmg

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