Free to buy? Explaining self‐control and impulse in consumer behavior

Abstract An important goal for consumer psychology is to understand when and why consumer behavior is driven by impulses versus rational decisions. Models accounting for the different shades of consumer behavior should spell out how impulsive versus reflective precursors of action are instigated, how they transform into behavior, when they conflict with each other, how such conflicts are resolved, and which boundary conditions (such as ego depletion) affect the relative influence of impulsive versus reflective precursors on behavior. Introducing the notion of free will into consumer psychology may discourage researchers from investigating the specific mechanisms underlying consumer choice and behavior.