When you pick a choice at a shopping mall, it is usually well thought-out; hence later, after the purchase, you will have an intense conviction that you made the right call. This is known as choice supportive bias or post-purchase rationalization. This makes you feel proud of your decision, and you harbor no regrets.
Humans want to reassure themselves long after taken up an option. They think about the advantages of the choice over the others that they left behind. They ignore any negative attributes.
Choice Supportive Evidence
According to research, most of the decisions that people make are made by the subconscious mind. This leads to buying decisions that are a prediction rather than based on liking. It has also been proven that positive aspects of choice-making tend to be dormant in the whole decision making, but the rejected options are associated with negative aspects.
When a buyer makes a decision, they get more confident when the seller praises their choice. This is a tactic used by marketers to increase sales. Instead of asking questions, marketers just watch and learn what makes people make specific purchases.
When they avoid criticizing the choices of buyers, they learn more and can use choice supportive evidence to drive buyers to purchase from them psychologically. As a buyer, you will definitely find criticism on your choice resentful.
Cause
This is a safe place for an individual to confirm to themselves that they are right. They want to justify their choice in their mind and believe that they settled for the best. It is a good thing because it will encourage you to be decisive in the future. If you do not have choice support bias, you become doubtful, leading to a lack of confidence to make a choice, even a simple one. It is triggered after a purchase or a hard decision that has many options.
How Choice Support Bias Influences Marketing
Choice support bias is an element of interest to marketers. This approach affects the psychology of the consumer; hence if a strategy is based on post-purchase rationalization, it is advantageous. This is cognitive bias, which is defined as skewed thinking that influences the way people perceive and process information that they are given. Cognitive bias affects everyone, no matter how intelligent or resourceful they are.
Positive ThoughtsMost people want to think positively as opposed to negative thoughts. Post-purchase rationalization is the feeling of gains instead of a loss. People are always pursuing real value for money, high returns on investments, and they want to believe what they bought is worth every spent.
People get attached to what they already have and do not want to let it go. Loss aversion encourages the individual to spend more money on what they already have rather than replace it.
Marketing portrays products as a must-have, and if one fails to buy then, they lose. No one likes losing. Anyone who comes across the product info or advert will be convinced to choose that product.
- Subconscious Decision
Human instinct convinces them to believe what they hear or see first. A second option is considered relatively new and hard sell. When buying a product, you will settle for a brand that you saw first because you feel that it is the right choice. You do not want to consider other options because you have made a decision sub-consciously. There is one detail that hooks you to that particular item, and it does not have to be the price. Experts in marketing will sturdy the market preferences and look for the single thing that they can turn in to their anchor. Once they nail this, they win the market.
- Buying familiar products
People buy what they know. Before making a purchase, a discerning buyer will do some research and compare the various options available. Once they have in mind that a particular choice is better than the other, they will make the buying decision based on what they know.
Consumers will ask for referrals from friends and family because they want to buy what they know and perceive as the right one. In marketing, cognitive biased is created in the mind of the buyer by the use of persuasive language and practical scenarios.
- Associate with Similar Choices
Consumers are drawn to ideas that support their choices. They want to convince themselves that the decision is excellent and was the right one. They will keep away from opposing views. They do not want to be pushed to think otherwise. They will look for the advantages and ignore the shortcomings. They will listen to positive testimonials while blocking negative ones.
Marketers use these ideas to appeal to customers. They will carry out informative pieces about their product and share references from happy clients. They will use positive feedback and reviews to convince you to buy.
Benefits of Choice Support Bias
Choice support bias plays a huge role in your decision making. Making a choice is and regretting it is even harder. The less you think about it as an inferior option, the better you feel. You feel motivated to make choices in the future and ready to face any challenge when making a purchase.
You become more proactive in conducting due before purchase so that you are sure that afterwards, you will be satisfied. This prepares you to own your choice and acknowledge that it was the top option. Many factors support Post-purchase rationalization.
When you have followed the right procedures, made comparisons, and collected information, you feel that you made the right call doubtlessly—clarity of mind when buying gives you an excellent after-purchase feeling, without guilt. However, making a decision is never easy; all you have to do is find contentment in what you settle for eventually after taking time to evaluate all options available. If it ends up not being as good as you expected, do not defend it. Just look for ways to make the best out of it or replace if it’s replaceable.