gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
There is a term that psychologists use to describe a particular behaviour where people who have bought something, after their purchase, start looking for reviews of that purchase. I can't remember the term, so I just call it 'post purchase panic'. It sounds kind of weird, getting a review after you have spent the money. There is, however, a curious logic behind it.
The subconscious logic works a bit like this: I am an okay, rational person. This means I make rational sensible decisions. Once I have made a decision, I feel better if I can get confirmation that my decision was indeed rational and sensible. I don't like the feeling I get if I discover that my decision was not as rational and sensible as I thought, because maybe it means that as a person I am not as rational and sensible as I thought I was.
The term for this tension (the need to feel ok but having the feeling that maybe you are not ok) and the desire to do something about it is called cognitive dissonance. What this leads to is any number of compensating behaviours. One is the one I have already mentioned; looking for positive reviews of a purchase after the purchase. Other behaviours include encouraging others to make the same purchase as you, or seeking out others who have already made the same purchase as you. The other side of this is seeking people to confirm negative views of a product. There is strength in numbers: if everyone else is doing the same as you, then you can't be wrong, can you? And so we try to sway others to adopt our particular view of something because it reinforces our own sense of self-worth. What is more, we can do this even if we know that our decision is not as robust as we might have thought.
I mention this because I notice the vigorous debates that occur in these forums, about how this brand is better than that, or this model sucks while that model is great, and I wonder to what extent we can really be objective in these discussions. I am highly suspicious of opinions and preferences, because I don't know how much they are influenced by a person's subconscious need for self-assurance. How much credibility I can give them? I don't know.
If someone urges me to buy a Ford, or a Mazda or a Peugot, what are the drivers behind the urge? Brand loyalty? Performance? Value? There are many contented Ford, Mazda and Peugot owners out there. Each owner finds his or her own benefits in having what they have, and those benefits don't necessarily equate to someone else's needs. Leyland p76s were once the laughing stock of the roadways; they are now collectors' items.
From time to time we see assorted polls here. Which recording software, which mike, which monitor? They have curiosity value, but, in my view, little else, because they do not help someone make a decision. Each person's situation is unique, and we should not presume (and consequently prescribe) that certain products will suit them if we don't have intimate knowledge of their situation. How can we possibly recommend a Mazda hatchback to someone without knowing their circumstances? And even if they ask 'which is better, Mazda, Ford or Peugot?', what possible meaningful recommendation can we give? I admit to doing this myself; someone asks about a particular headphone amp, and I say I've got one, it suits me just fine. So what? That doesn't mean it's going to suit someone else equally just fine.
I do have to concede, though, that the debates, arguments and counter arguments do make for very interresting reading, and it would be a vastly duller place without it. In the end, I guess that this rambling set of thoughts is nothing more than just a rambling set of thoughts. Make of it what you will. Having aired them, I will go and bask some more in the sun.
The subconscious logic works a bit like this: I am an okay, rational person. This means I make rational sensible decisions. Once I have made a decision, I feel better if I can get confirmation that my decision was indeed rational and sensible. I don't like the feeling I get if I discover that my decision was not as rational and sensible as I thought, because maybe it means that as a person I am not as rational and sensible as I thought I was.
The term for this tension (the need to feel ok but having the feeling that maybe you are not ok) and the desire to do something about it is called cognitive dissonance. What this leads to is any number of compensating behaviours. One is the one I have already mentioned; looking for positive reviews of a purchase after the purchase. Other behaviours include encouraging others to make the same purchase as you, or seeking out others who have already made the same purchase as you. The other side of this is seeking people to confirm negative views of a product. There is strength in numbers: if everyone else is doing the same as you, then you can't be wrong, can you? And so we try to sway others to adopt our particular view of something because it reinforces our own sense of self-worth. What is more, we can do this even if we know that our decision is not as robust as we might have thought.
I mention this because I notice the vigorous debates that occur in these forums, about how this brand is better than that, or this model sucks while that model is great, and I wonder to what extent we can really be objective in these discussions. I am highly suspicious of opinions and preferences, because I don't know how much they are influenced by a person's subconscious need for self-assurance. How much credibility I can give them? I don't know.
If someone urges me to buy a Ford, or a Mazda or a Peugot, what are the drivers behind the urge? Brand loyalty? Performance? Value? There are many contented Ford, Mazda and Peugot owners out there. Each owner finds his or her own benefits in having what they have, and those benefits don't necessarily equate to someone else's needs. Leyland p76s were once the laughing stock of the roadways; they are now collectors' items.
From time to time we see assorted polls here. Which recording software, which mike, which monitor? They have curiosity value, but, in my view, little else, because they do not help someone make a decision. Each person's situation is unique, and we should not presume (and consequently prescribe) that certain products will suit them if we don't have intimate knowledge of their situation. How can we possibly recommend a Mazda hatchback to someone without knowing their circumstances? And even if they ask 'which is better, Mazda, Ford or Peugot?', what possible meaningful recommendation can we give? I admit to doing this myself; someone asks about a particular headphone amp, and I say I've got one, it suits me just fine. So what? That doesn't mean it's going to suit someone else equally just fine.
I do have to concede, though, that the debates, arguments and counter arguments do make for very interresting reading, and it would be a vastly duller place without it. In the end, I guess that this rambling set of thoughts is nothing more than just a rambling set of thoughts. Make of it what you will. Having aired them, I will go and bask some more in the sun.
