Human beings are like icebergs.
What we display on the surface is our “tip”; it’s what people see as the appearance, superficiality, and public behavior. The bulk of our identity lies below the surface.
It has implications for almost all aspects of life, but especially as neuroscience is beginning to reveal what’s happening under the surface of the Iceberg.
Icebergs and Humans
In icebergs, about 10% of them are visible, and the remainder is hidden under the surface of the water. The massive mass beneath the surface is the main factor that controls the movement and behavior that the iceberg exhibits. It’s the ‘engine room inside the iceberg, but it’s completely inaccessible.
It’s the same with humans. Our ethnic, cultural, and ethnic makeup and appearance, and even our behavior outwardly, can be evident when you look at a person and have a conversation for a couple of minutes. But what’s happening within the engine? What drives the behavior that appears outwardly? What is the process of making decisions?
These answers were previously revealed on the couch of the psychiatrist or in the study of a psychologist. However, the neuroscience field, when paired with the information we’ve already gathered of psychology aiding us in understanding more about what happens beneath what’s on the outside. With advanced imaging techniques, we can look into what’s going on inside the brain and then see the way in which this affects behavior.
The majority of our behavior is subconsciously-driven, as psychology has known for a long time. In fact, most neuroscientists agree that our behavior is as much subconsciously driven as the mass of an iceberg is underwater.
Neuromarketing
Many fields have begun to make use of the knowledge from neuroscience in a variety of fields. This is not surprising since they all share a joint base: humans.
From the field of law through economics to the legal profession, neuroscience is regarded as being able to answer surely of the most critical questions about our behavior. In the field of business, it can open up a variety of avenues for innovative solutions to traditional issues.
The field of Neuromarketing is where we have seen neuroscience used efficiently. This isn’t surprising since marketers have been keen to know more about the process of making decisions (with regard to buying choices) since the very first product appeared on the shelves.
The majority of traditional strategies for targeted marketing campaigns revolve around the demographic, geographical, and behavioral segmentation of the intended population. This is also known as the ten percent of people at the end of the Iceberg.
Innovative approaches can divide audiences based on attitudes to beliefs, psychology, and beliefs. Neuroscience has revealed two distinct thought processes: the rational one, which is slow, measured, and free, as well as the emotional system that is more rapid, closed, and involuntary. It is driven by fundamental beliefs.
Two Thinking Systems: The Two Thinking Systems
We all have both thinking processes, and both are essential, however, at different times and in various situations. For instance, we are allowing the emotional system to rule when leading an expedition that involves a risky trek up a mountain not to be a good idea for the entire group. Likewise, the leader of an organization should be the ability to shift into a rational mode of thinking when making critical strategic choices. It is imperative that a conscious choice be taken to keep the emotions from the equation, which is problematic since we don’t think about it all the time.
Similar to when we’re in a relaxed state, whether at home or shopping with family or friends, the system of emotions is able to activate automatically. Therefore, purchasing choices are usually driven by emotion and are impulsive. Marketers recognize this and can improve the way they market their products based on this knowledge.
If we can conclude that purchasing behavior is primarily controlled by an emotional state rather than the rational mind, the behavior begins to take on consequences for everyone in life. The seemingly unfathomable behavior becomes more understandable… then we begin to dip beneath the surface to discover the deeper layers of the Iceberg.
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