Consumer rationality in a multidisciplinary perspective

This paper analyzes the “rationality” of purchase: it considers in a critical perspective the hypothesis of the increasing ability of consumers to choose (supported by sociologists), by collecting information on purchase habits and by matching these with responses to the cognitive biases tests, developed by psychology and economics. The hypothesis of a critical consumer appears blurred by a decision-making process revealing the persistence of traditional attitudes with a strong sensitivity to price, alongside the emergence of new cohorts of stimulation on customers, as shown by the focus on the attribute “quality”. It seems that a multidisciplinary approach is beneficial in terms of heuristics.

► Consumer rationality has always been a controversial concept in the debate between economics, sociology and psychology.
► The study supports the need for a multidisciplinary perspective to the analysis of purchasing decision.
► The study highlights that critical consumption choices are not immune to cognitive biases.
► In the study variable as education level, income and social status are linked to bias.