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The Effects of Attachment Styles on Consumer Behavior

Attachment theory was established through the work of John Bowlby and important contributions by Mary Ainsworth. This theory suggests that an infant’s social and emotional development is profoundly shaped by their relationship with their primary caregivers. Ainsworth designed “The Strange Situation Experiment”, which observed that infants and children develop basically three distinct styles of attachment with their caregivers: Secure, Anxious and Avoidant. In addition, attachment theory has revealed that adults rely on the attachment style they developed in childhood when perceiving and responding to intimacy in all their relationships. Briefly speaking, it has been observed that securely attached individuals are comfortable with closeness, mostly affectionate and loving; anxiously attached individuals are in constant need of closeness, overthink and worry about their relationships; and avoidantly attached individuals equate closeness with the loss of freedom and therefore try to keep closeness to a minimum.

Research shows that individuals form business relationships in ways similar to interpersonal relationships and that attachment types have an important role in understanding customer behavior and in the formation of trust and loyalty to a company.

Research investigating the effects of attachment styles on consumer behavior suggests that securely attached individuals are more likely to stay in long-term relationships with brands and companies and to trust and commit to them. Consumers with this attachment type have been observed to develop a more positive perception of satisfaction, trustworthiness and commitment to companies and company employees than insecurely attached (avoidant or anxious) consumers.

It has been observed that avoidantly attached individuals have less trust in companies, do not establish long-term relationships and do not prefer cooperation. Although many studies have shown that anxiously attached individuals trust companies less like avoidant individuals, some studies have found that anxious individuals trust companies more and establish long-term relationships with them due to their need to constantly seek closeness and maintain the relationship no matter what. It has been observed that insecurely attached consumers do not connect sufficiently with company employees and compensate for this inadequacy by connecting with the company, that is, with an abstract concept.

The research provides some recommendations for companies to implement based on consumers’ attachment types. It states that companies can approach securely attached customers through all available tools and channels as long as they treat them as equal partners without trying to gain the upper hand. Consumers with avoidant attachment style, on the other hand, should be presented with multiple options and should not be pressured to make an immediate decision. In addition, they should be reached through digital channels rather than personally, and should be exposed to less advertising and marketing. For anxiously attached consumers, companies should make intensive marketing contacts to persuade the consumer that their intentions are good and strive to build consumer trust and loyalty by demonstrating that they are interested in all the needs and problems of the consumer. Research emphasizes that companies must first establish trust for all attachment styles, and only then can they build a long-lasting relationship with the customer.

Neuromarketing uses scientific techniques and tools to understand consumer behavior and needs at a biological and psychological level. For this reason, it is thought that neuromarketing can help companies in measuring attachment types and investigating the effects of attachment types on consumer behavior. In this way, companies can better segment markets, manage customer relationships better and use resources more efficiently.

References

Neuroscientist Yağmur Başak Ören

Aaker, J., Fournier, S., & Brasel, S. A. (2004). When good brands do bad. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1086/383419

Frydman, S., & Tena, M. A. (2022). Attachment styles and customers’ long-term relationships in a service context. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(1), 267-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12834

Levine, A., & Heller, R. (2012). Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love. TarcherPerigee.

Mende, M., & Bolton, R. N. (2011). Why attachment security matters. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 285-301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411173

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2024 Consumer Psychology and Trends

Consumer-related motives can be divided into physiological and psychological. This distinction also shows the relationship between motives and needs. Physiological motives stimulate movements that are linked to the basic functions of the body. Psychological motives, on the other hand, stimulate emotional and mental movements.  Perception is the acquisition of information about the existence of an event or object through the senses. Every person gives meaning to all stimuli in the environment. Consumers perceive information from their environment. However, everyone’s perception is different and personal experiences, beliefs and values influence perception.

Marketers take these factors into account to ensure that consumers perceive their product or brand in a positive way. By drawing inferences from previous shopping experiences, consumers engage in a learning process that influences their future purchasing decisions. These experiences shape consumers’ perceptions of a product or brand, and these perceptions enable marketers to ensure that they are consistently top of mind and strengthen customer loyalty. Moreover, consumers’ memory of the product or brand offers a strategic advantage to improve the effectiveness of marketing efforts, as a memorable brand can create a long-lasting bond between customers.

Especially in the past year, many different marketing and advertising strategies have been tried to better understand consumer psychology. In this process where social media was actively used, more brand collaborations were made with “public faces” on platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok in order for the consumer to experience a sense of belonging.

Brands need to carry out marketing activities in accordance with the profile of the brand’s purpose, especially when promoting the product. For example; if any product is to be promoted in Istanbul, that product must be suitable for historical places. “Maiden’s Tower” is important for the consumer, a lasting effect can be left in the consumer’s brain with a harmonious product match here. However, the suitability of the product, graphic design and many other details must be suitable for advertising. Especially here, the question “what does the brand want to tell?” is of great importance.

It is among the trends of this year that augmented reality-oriented advertisements, especially on street billboards, arouse excitement in the consumer. Again today, everything is about “experience”. Brands associate many of their activities with consumer experience. Consumers have an experience-oriented perspective. With experience, they can actually experience any product or content in their emotional world, which is changing due to the intense use of social media, and establish a bond with it.

Today, with neuromarketing technologies, it is possible to objectively present data on how the suitability of any product, advertisement, advertising content creates emotions in the consumer, the sense of excitement and arousal. With the developing technology in every field, the question marks are decreasing in the information age.

Reference:

Psychologist Merve Altındağ

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The Effect of Light on Human Psychology and Brain

When we are less exposed to light during the winter months, we may face various psychological and physiological difficulties. The human eye perceives visible light at wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. This light emitted from the light source is reflected from objects depending on factors such as color temperature, vibration frequency, color rendering index (CRI), brightness and interaction with various substances. These reflections create different contrasts, reach the eye and affect people’s physical and psychological health.

Vitamin D deficiency can occur, especially when sunlight is not sufficiently utilized. Vitamin D can affect mood as well as general health. People with low vitamin D levels may have an increased risk of depression. The shorter days and longer nights in winter can cause the body to tend to increase the hormone melatonin. This can lead to reduced energy levels and insomnia.

An important fact that has a significant impact on people’s psychology and overall health is the provision of quality and adequate sleep. In this process, the hormone melatonin plays an important role. Melatonin is secreted in response to a decrease in the level of light falling on the retina and promotes the onset of sleep. When light increases, melatonin secretion decreases, which promotes wakefulness. Therefore, a healthy secretion of the hormone melatonin is essential for the regular functioning of the biological clock and to improve sleep quality.

Today, people are exposed to artificial light day or night. Reflected or direct light during the night hours, when we sleep due to the biological clock, can disrupt sleep patterns. Television, computer monitors, cell phone screens, digital clocks, notification lights, vehicle headlights, streetlamps are some examples that can affect our sleep patterns at night.

Some experimental studies have shown a reduction in symptoms of depression in individuals who are more exposed to sunlight. When this effect is combined with antidepressant drugs, it reveals that more effective results can be obtained compared to the use of medication alone.

Another important effect of lighting is that its color and brightness values affect people’s eating habits. Studies have shown that people eat slower and less frequently in dimly lit restaurants. However, in this case, people are less alert and therefore less attentive to food calories. It is also thought that different light environments may affect eating habits through the influence of hormones. For example, it is thought that warm and yellow tones of light may affect the secretion of hormones such as serotonin and melatonin during meals. This in turn can affect the experience and taste of eating. Color and light arrangements can change the atmosphere of a space and the perception of food, which can have an impact on people’s food choices and consumption habits.

Reference:

 Psychologist Merve Altındağ

KÜÇÜK, S. (2023). Aydınlatma ve Işığın İnsan Yaşam ve Sağlığı Üzerindeki Etkileri. Yeni Yüzyıl Journal of Medical Sciences, 4(3), 95-102.