There is a Disconnect Between What Consumers Say, and What They Do

According to Richard Shotton, Founder of Astroten, a behavioural science consultancy, and author of The Choice Factory and The Illusion of Choice, when research happens, it’s based on claimed data. For example, creative routes are tested by asking people which ads they think would make them purchase. 

British advertising guru, founder of Ogilvy & Mather, David Ogilvy once said, ‘The trouble with market research is that people don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.’

Bias Comes with Being Human

“It’s not that respondents deliberately mislead researchers, just that nobody is aware of all the elements that influence their decisions. When asked, people don’t — in fact, can’t — tell you what motivates them. So, findings from a lot of market research can never uncover the whole truth,” says Shotton. 

There are several kinds of bias that could creep in, and the source could be the researchers designing the survey or the consumers answering it. 

For example, ‘Confirmation Bias’ refers to the tendency of researchers to interpret information (e.g., data, charts, or ambiguous signals) in a way that confirms their beliefs. The danger here is that any information inconsistent with their beliefs is given less value. On the contrary, ‘Avoiding Confirmation Bias’ comes with researchers who are aware of confirmation bias. 

But here too, the pendulum could swing too far in the other direction. Perhaps, the solution is to employ researchers who don’t have a direct interest in the results. A third, in a list of many, is ‘Acquiescence Bias,’ which lends itself to the psychological need to be perceived positively by the world. Here, respondents may lean towards “agreeing” or “strongly agreeing” with certain research questions. It’s certainly not possible to eliminate people pleasers from a market research study. Applying a counterweight may help, but it starts with being aware of these biases to begin with. 

Uncovering True Insights 

Ultimately, the goal of market research is to gain true insights into a market and leverage those insights to make informed decisions that result in positive business outcomes. 

So how can marketers understand the underlying psychological triggers that truly influence buying behaviour?

Understanding consumer psychology requires shifting focus from self-reported data to actual behaviour—observing what people do rather than just asking them about their preferences. For example, research by Adrian North in 1999 revealed that ambient music in supermarkets influenced consumer decisions, even though shoppers were unaware of its effect. This type of behavioural science research provides far more accurate insights than traditional surveys where respondents claim to be unaffected by external factors.

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There is a shift underway, admits Shotton. “It’s increasingly common to see brands and agencies incorporate consumer psychology as part of their process, although it’s not often systematically applied,” he says. 

With consumer behaviour becoming increasingly complex, marketers in 2025 need to utilise more sophisticated data collection methods that focus on observed behaviour. Further, according to research by Harvard Business School professor emeritus Gerald Zaltman, 95% of our purchase decisions are directed by subconscious mental processes. 

Behavioural science offers insights into what drives consumer decision-making processes that traditional marketing strategies often miss. By observing actual behaviour rather than relying on what consumers say, marketers can create more effective campaigns, increase customer engagement, and ultimately boost sales.

Richard Shotton is the keynote speaker at Vibe Marketing Tech Fest, and will speak about how human decision-making remains remarkably constant in an evolving technology landscape in his session entitled ‘The Enduring Power of Behavioural Science.’

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