Deciphering the temporal dynamics of consumer decisions: the interplay of cognitive load and response correctness

Abstract

This study delves into the impact of visual marketing stimuli on consumer response times, focusing on the complexity and subjectivity of the questions posed. Conducted in Slovakia, the research involved 40 participants (20 men and 20 women, aged 30 to 50 years), all holding university degrees in economics to ensure consistent decision-making experience. Participants were presented with visual stimuli representing four well-known FMCG brands. The stimuli included simple brand preference questions and complex evaluative judgments of offer efficiency. Response times were measured in milliseconds and analyzed using statistical methods, including the Mann-Whitney U test and one-way ANOVA. Results revealed that responses to simple stimuli averaged 1212 ms, while complex stimuli elicited slower responses, averaging 2504 ms. A significant difference was observed for “No” answers in the offer evaluation tasks, with correct “No” responses taking 3000 ms compared to 2297 ms for incorrect ones (p < 0.05), highlighting the cognitive load involved in accurate decision-making. These findings provide valuable insights into the cognitive processes driving consumer decision-making and contribute to the theoretical understanding of how question complexity and subjectivity influence response times. AcknowledgmentThis paper was funded by research grant VEGA 1/0462/23 entitled “Circular economy in the context of societal demands and market limitations“ (100% share).