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A dual‐system framework to understand preference construction processes in choice
Author(s) -
Dhar Ravi,
Gorlin Margarita
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1016/j.jcps.2013.02.002
Subject(s) - preference , dual (grammatical number) , psychology , cognition , cognitive psychology , cognitive resource theory , dual process theory (moral psychology) , information processing , property (philosophy) , social psychology , cognitive science , epistemology , microeconomics , art , philosophy , literature , neuroscience , economics
Building on the dual‐system theory of judgment, we propose an intuitive and deliberate framework for understanding the effects of preference construction in choice. We argue that while certain choice effects can be attributed primarily to rapid, unintentional, and intuitive processing, others arise from intentional and deliberate processing. We use this distinction to group choice effects previously identified in the literature, discuss evidence in support of the dual‐system framework of preference construction, and propose new research directions. Since the defining property of intuitive versus deliberate mental processes is the degree to which they engage working memory, the proposed framework sheds light on how these previously identified effects will change with conditions such as the availability of cognitive resources. We conclude by calling for additional research to explore the interplay between intuitive and deliberate processing to determine which processes are implicated in generating a preference, as well as research on new moderators of choice effects based on the difference in the amount of willful information processing that underlies decision making.