Intentionality, symbol, and situation in the interpretation of consumer choice

Abstract

A central aim of consumer behaviour analysis has been to delineate the place of cognitive explanation in consumer research and marketing. The strategy has involved first the exhaustion of noncognitive, behaviourist explanation in order to elucidate the necessary role of cognitive explanation. Behaviour analysis has proved relevant to a wide range of consumer behaviours, but its limitations include an inability to account for behavioural continuity and to deal with the personal level of explanation and an inability to delimit the behavioural interpretation of choices that are not amenable to an experimental or quasi-experimental analysis. For these purposes, an intentional explanation is necessary and this article is one of a series devoted to the development of a strategy for the responsible ascription of intentionality to the explanation of consumer choice. This article is specifically concerned with the relevance of Searle’s concept of collective intentionality in the refinement and definition of symbolic reinforcement. The consequences of incorporating collective intentionality into the explanation of consumer behaviour for the philosophy of science underlying consumer behaviour analysis are discussed.