System 3 Thinking
The thought processes of consumers are defined under two systems. System 1 is a cognitive process system that is based on instincts and intuition. Contrastingly, System 2 is a controlled and conscious process. For instance, the consumption of snacks may be studied using System 1, because the snack consumer oftentimes buys the product out of spontaneous desire; whereas the consumption of vitamins can be understood under System 2 because the vitamin consumer buys the product to invest in their health. On the other hand, snack consumption can also be studied using System 2, because the consumer can have a protein bar for hunger control in order to maintain a healthy diet. This behavior would indicate that the consumer is intending on investing in his health, which would signal System 2 motivation.
Typically, System 1 and System 2 have been used to categorize consumer motivation, however recently a third system has been discussed by thought leaders to explain the power of imagination in decision making. As Uservision, we have been encountering this alternate motivation in our research for some time and this motivation emerged powerfully after the COVID-19 crisis.
System 3 way of thinking is mainly derived from imagination. A consumer motivated by the third system imagines the interaction with the product and makes a decision for his or her future self. System 3 is not only a combination of the first two systems but can also be described as a completely independent one. In this system consumers imagine their future selves interacting with the product or service. They analyze their environmental and inherent circumstances and build their imaginative world accordingly. For example, the motivation of a consumer purchasing a dress could be explained as such: If the consumer is purchasing a dress in a very deliberate way as she needs one for summer and her other dresses are pretty old, we can classify this thinking as System 2. If the same consumer sees a dress at a store, and she is immediately impressed by its pretty colors after a hard day and she impulsively buys the dress to be happy, that’s System 1 thinking. Finally, if the consumer imagines herself in the summer with that dress on (although she is in quarantine) and therefore deliberately buys that dress to make her future self happy, that is System 3 thinking. She buys a piece of happiness right now, by materializing her dream.
Dreaming is one of the most fundamental human capabilities. Especially nowadays, where quarantine hinders consumers to go out and the effects of daily life are suppressed, the impact of System 3 can be observed even more. Brands that can successfully direct the imagination of consumers will enjoy a surge of sales during and after the pandemic.
You can acquire information regarding System 3 from our team at Uservision who have been providing insights globally for the past three years. In order to develop ideas with Uservision consultants, you can get an advisory appointment on meet.user.vision.
