System 1 and System 2
The productive tension
Fast intuitive thinkingandslow deliberate thinking -- both are always operating
The synthesis
The popular version of dual process theory presents System 1 and System 2 as an either/or toggle -- you are either thinking fast or thinking slow. The reality is more nuanced: both systems are always active, operating in parallel. System 1 continuously generates impressions, intuitions, and proposals. System 2 monitors, occasionally intervenes, and sometimes overrides. The evidence-based marketer designs for both systems simultaneously -- emotional resonance that speaks to System 1's pattern-matching AND rational substance that satisfies System 2's need for justification. The best marketing has always done this. Behavioural science simply explains why.
Learning objectives
- →Explain Kahneman's dual process theory and distinguish the characteristics of System 1 and System 2 processing
- →Describe how System 1 and System 2 interact in consumer decision-making, including the propose-and-ratify dynamic
- →Analyse why most purchase decisions are System 1 dominant and identify the marketing implications
- →Apply Robert Heath's low-involvement processing theory to explain how advertising works when consumers are not paying attention
- →Evaluate the limitations and critiques of dual process theory while retaining its practical value for marketing
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