Question

From a psychological viewpoint, explain why people purchase a product or service or accept the message even when the information is misleading.

Answer 1

The reason people purchase/service/accept the message of products even when the information is misleading is due to false advertising that is marketed extremely well. False advertising works well as its core factor is the deception of peoples minds, especially their emotions. People are easily sold when they are convinced by so-called professionals or experts that are on the advertisement displays. The methods that advertisements utilize are usually by grabbing the attention of consumers by attacking their insecurities and their emotions attached alongside them. It is usually beautiful models or smart/intelligent looking doctors or cool celebrities who advocate that consumers ought to buy a product. Since such people(like celebrities/actors) with a higher status and influence have a great following they are paid by marketing agencies as well as companies to promote certain products to the mass of consumers out there who think that buying a particular product will solve deep insecurity within them.

False advertising is the use of false, misleading, or unproven information to advertise products to consumers. A consumers' ability to distinguish false advertisements is affected by their emotions. People with positive emotions are more sensitive to false advertisements. The advertising frequently does not disclose its source. The types of deception that are used are:

• Photobleaching- editing images and presenting them in ways that convince people that a product works with fast-paced results.

• Omitting information- Important information like the side effects of a drug are slyly put in a small font or is designed in a way that consumers overlook it and buy it immediately.

• Hidden fees and surcharges-  Companies to trick the unwary consumer into paying excess fees (for example tax, shipping fees, insurance etc.) on a product that was advertised at a specific price as a way to increase profit without raising the price on the actual item.

• Manipulation of measurement units and standard- r deceiving customers by informing them with facts that either is not true or are using a standard or standards that wouldn't be widely used or understood which results in the customer being misinformed or confused.

• Fillers and oversized packaging- Some products are sold with fillers, which increase the legal weight of the product with something that costs the producer very little compared to what the consumer thinks that he or she is buying.

• Misleading health claims- Advertisers are aware of the need to live healthier and longer, so they adapt their products in accordance. Putting words like diet, low fat, sugar-free, healthy is all eyecatchers for many consumers who are looking to achieve health fast.

• Comparative advertising- Companies employ a gamut of marketing techniques in order to assert their products as the best available on the market. The advertised brand is explicitly compared with one or more competing brands and the comparison is obvious to the audience.

Puffing- It is the act of exaggerating a product's worth through the use of meaningless unsubstantiated terms, based on opinion rather than fact. There is also manipulation f data in many cases. Some points and types of deceptions that come under puffing are:

• Incomplete/Inconsistent comparison- A web site might compare their own sale prices with the regular prices offered by their competitors.

• Misleading illustrations- The pictures or illustrations used in the ads are magnified and edited to attract the consumer to buy it. But in reality, the inside of the product may not have what was shown on the ad but instead, a lesser or smaller amount is sold instead. This can be seen with hamburgers that look amazing in posters and boards but when you actually order one it may not look the same as it did on the advertisement boards.

• False colouring- Colour psychology is utilized to attract the subconscious thoughts of consumers. People see colours first before noticing the other things about the product.

• Angel dusting-  A cereal may claim it contains "12 essential vitamins and minerals", but the amounts of each maybe only 1% or less of the Reference Daily Intake, providing virtually no benefit to nutrition.

• Chemical-free- Products use this label to let consumers know that they are safe if they purchase the product when in fact there is no real clarification about the chemicals and contents of the product.

• Bait-and-switch- A company will advertise their product at a very cheap and enticing price which will attract the customers (bait). But the product the customer seeks is not available for made-up reasons like there is only a limited supply of that certain product. Later, the store/company will then try to sell something that is more expensive and valuable than what they originally advertised (upsell).

Humans are drawn to seek out information in the world because it has survival value. We forage for information much in the way our ancestors foraged for food. This is "hardwired" into us. Clickbait (another type of deception online seen with blogs and many articles and such websites) is the promise that unbelievable, provocative, or shocking information will be revealed if we just click on the link they provide. The dopamine reward system incentivizes behaviour more through making an individual want more than they like something. Dopamine creates an itch that must be scratched but the real insight here to grasp is that the itch even after being scratched may not feel any better. Such deceptions work as many people aren't even aware of the manipulation techniques that are disguised with the aesthetic illusion they think they need/want.

The promise of such compelling information activated the dopamine pathways and this very chemical creates that itch which can be soothed only when the promised information displayed by a company or brand is obtained. What actually relieves the itch is far deeper than what an individual seeks. An individual may be influenced by their environment and culture especially pop cultures that are quite popular with young boys and girls and many other such instances. Clickbait and False Advertising are forms of deception where data is manipulated very carefully so that the mass populations of consumers buy into their products and in turn giving the companies monetary value. These deceptions are negative reinforcements which don't care much for consumers but care more for the profits that they can make by abusing and manipulating what people know(which in the companies cases is usually that people aren't very aware of their daily decisions and choices and everyone is usually looking for a quick fix to solve any problem they come across). It is seen in ads of face creams that strike the insecure darker-skinned people to buy and try the product to make them fairer. This is, of course, a false illusion that insecure dark-skinned people may believe at their very core. Growing up with a belief system that may not have allowed them to love themselves as they are or having too many competitive comparisons with peers like on social media can truly affect how people make their personal purchases. They look for value in products and the most convincing advertisement usually wins.

The way something is branded influences and even persuades consumers to buy the product. For example, tobacco products have been branded in such ways that a big chunk of the population today are chain-smokers. It used to be thought that smoking is good for health until that statement was proved otherwise and that it could cause many cancers to arise in people. Smoking was associated with a macho man who is strong, handsome and a peoples favourite which had influenced many many youths and adults to pick up the habit of smoking to maybe use it as a way to become part of a group like during socializing. Even in movies, smoking is associated with people who serve a confident and savage hero demeanour which is why t appeals to those who may be insecure about themselves on a deeply psychologically rooted level. They may find that they aren't as happy as they thought they would be even after smoking but that they have only added more to their health concerns possibly in the long term.

Today in the age of information it may be very difficult for people to distinguish and make decisions they need to. It would be advised that people know what they are truly looking for before making a purchase. Getting distracted and facing the paradox of choice isnt very beneficial to people. It is important to read the labels of products but it is also important that one does not take their insecurities to a level that they are fast consumers of things that they mindlessly decide will bring them well-being or contentment. With a self secure structure of an individuals self there may be more space for them to buy products which they need while abstaining from making hasty and easy decisions.