How do you like that Freud

My Nervous Purchasing Experience

One purchase that involved a significant cognitive decision-making process for me was a laptop for my studies and freelance work. Using the cognitive model, I went through the following stages:

1. Problem recognition: My old laptop became slow and unreliable, hindering my productivity and making me the laughing stock of my people. Then the slowing down of everything got me desperate, pushing me over the edge. It also helped that security updates no longer can be protected by old computers, apparently we need constant new tech to keep up with security from hackers. Nice job Computer companies, nice way to keep us needing to buy buy buy.

2. Information search: I researched online reviews, specifications, and compared brands/models extensively. More than anything I talked talked talked to death consulted peers who had similar need's and many that did not. Everyone has an opposing opinion and everyone is happy to sell their choice as the best.

3. Evaluation of alternatives: I created a mental list of potential options and weighed the benefits of each really quickly (e.g., processing power, portability, price). This involved creating a pros-and-cons chart on a napkin. Which got tossed because, Ok lets me honest it did not out weigh which one looks nice, will arrive sooner and won’t bust my balls about delivery and added confusing costs.

4. Purchase decision: I ultimately chose a mid-range laptop with a good balance of affordability and performance after considering its long-term value. But mostly because Im broke. Who knows if it really is all of these things but It made me think it is. Could be just great marketing towards their target group, Me apparently.

5. Post-purchase evaluation: After purchasing, I reassured myself that I made the right choice by reflecting on its performance and cost-effectiveness. Yes, I will constantly second guess in FOMO style if I picked the right one as I have latent loyalty for another I can’t afford. Man I miss the days when you wanted cereal there was one cereal you got it went home enjoyed it as you accomplished your mission. Now theres a whole aisle of cereal boxes all vying for attention and so much information each about differing reasons for why they are all the best in their way! In the end brain shuts down sends message to arm to reach for one any one and done. Hope for the best and try a different one next time.

What influenced incessant research was the possibility that I would give up a big chunk of money for a dud so my purchase rational was to evaluate reviews looking for people that said it wasn't a dud, peer recommendations of bells and whistles one thing had more than another and really being lead to believe those bells an whistles where all I never knew I needed and they would make my life soooo much better like the perfect people in the Ad that have their shit together because they knew to get the bells an whistles, plus a burning desire to special and score a jack pot of a Ferrari at the price of a Toyota. My perceived risk (financial and functional) drove me thorough decision-making process but in the end I toss it all out the window because the info became to much and I need the computer now. It was more like internal warfare in my mind ending in the lawyers in my head giving a closing pep talk about the rationalization of why this was a fine choice just to get the ordeal over with.

So breaking this down I’m impressed about how much the cognitive model highlights how much effort goes into purchases that are high-involvement/price/skin in the game and we do this unconsciously thousands of times a day. Exhausting. That’s without even considering other likely unconscious influencers like Freuds oral stage influencing my Id and super Ego into finding a comforting computer. Was this decision already decided when I was 1? Hahaha!

We really are Glaciers. Apologies for my soap box ramblings, I am stepping it up for a better participation grade this module as you can see. Hahahah How am I doing?