May 2025

Key Takeaways: What Is the Pseudocertainty Effect? The pseudocertainty effect is a cognitive bias where people often believe an outcome is guaranteed, even when it’s not, especially in situations with multiple stages of decision-making. We tend to overlook earlier uncertainties, honing in instead on just the final step, which we mistakenly treat as independent and

Key Takeaways: What is Post-Purchase Rationalisation? Post-Purchase Rationalisation (PPR) is a common cognitive bias where we often find ourselves justifying a purchase after the deed is done, usually by playfully exaggerating the benefits or downplaying the flaws. So, when does this happen?  Sometimes referred to as choice-supportive bias or even buyer’s Stockholm Syndrome, PPR allows

Key Takeaways: What Is Decision Fatigue? Decision fatigue refers to the deterioration in the quality of decisions made by an individual after a prolonged period of decision-making. The more choices we make, the more our mental energy gets depleted, leading to impulsive decisions, avoidance, or inaction. Decision fatigue is something many of us encounter but

Have you ever purchased something on a whim, simply because it was right in front of you? This isn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision; it’s restraint bias at play. In marketing and consumer psychology, restraint bias refers to our tendency to overestimate our self-control, often leading us to give in to temptation. In this article, we’ll

Why do consumers often prefer complete risk elimination over simply reducing risk? Consider this example: one choice lowers risk from 50% to 25%, while another cuts it from 5% to 0%. Surprisingly, most people opt for the latter option, even when it might not be the most logical choice. This tendency can be explained by

Have you ever enjoyed receiving a free sample and felt delightedly tempted to buy the full product? Or perhaps you downloaded a free guide and later found yourself subscribing to the company’s newsletter? You weren’t manipulated; you were responding to one of the most powerful behavioural principles in psychology: the principle of reciprocity. Grasping this

Have you ever found yourself valuing a wobbly table you put together yourself more than a sleek one from a showroom? That’s what we call the IKEA effect. It’s a cognitive bias that explains why people tend to place a higher worth on items they’ve invested effort into creating. But this concept isn’t limited to

In marketing and consumer research, getting accurate feedback is crucial, but courtesy bias can often get in the way. This subtle yet significant form of social desirability bias causes people to exaggerate their positive experiences and hold back on criticism, particularly when there are power dynamics at play or when they want to be polite.