I have just been reading through Motivating Sustainable Consumption: a review of evidence on consumer behaviour and behavioural change, T. Jackson 2005. I don't think I have ever seen so many theories on one paper. How can there be so many possible theories to try to explain consumer choices and which one is correct? I think the main problem here is that consumer choice is so intangible. It is shaped by so many different factors; long and short term, internal influences, external influences, peers, society, education, parents, local community, political orientation, sex, income, culture, the list can go on and on. How can anyone expect to create a single theory that encompasses such a large scope of different stimuli?
Thinking about it, and taking myself and my consuming habits into account, I think they are all correct, though not at the same time. I think that trying to apply a single theory to cover all consumption habits is a mistake. To me it makes sense that for some products I would apply a rational choice theory approach but for other products I might apply Ecological Value Theory, or maybe even a hybrid combination of several theories. Other aspects may also affect which theory applies to a specific consumption activity such as a persons mood, a recent conversation, whether they are tired or ill, whether they are shopping with another person, and other influences leading up to a purchase. Depending on a combination of these factors may determine which theory of consumption needs to be applied to the specific situation.
Some theories of consumption obviously are more generalist and have been effectively leveraged for many years now, such as the means end chain theory used in marketing (Jackson 2005). But I still think this only explains part of consumer behaviour, it gives us a nudge but does not result in a definitive purchase commitment.
Perhaps an Integrated Theory of the Theories of Sustainable Consumption needs to be developed which examines why different purchases are subject to different people in different situations for different products. A theory that leads to determining which theory is most likely to be applicable in different situations.
In addition I think I have identified a theory of consumption that has not been identified in the literature, please correct me if I am wrong! It is the Theory of Rejecting the Recognition of Rational Choice, or for short, the Sod It Theory of Consumption. This is where you rationally weigh up all the pros and cons of a product as explained by Rational Choice Theory and, even if rationally you have no reason to buy it, you think to yourself "Sod it, I'm going to buy it anyway!".
How can we expect to apply rational theories to a species which is so evidently irrational in so many of its choices?
I love your 'Sod It' Theory of Consumption, Ian. You could argue that we decide to buy the product as a result of factors like wanting to fit in with social norms, or making a statement about our own identities. However, I think you're right to assert that sometimes we explicitly reject what we know to be 'rational' behaviour, and this is perhaps distinct from the models which simply add on social and psychological factors to Rational Choice Theory.
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