1. Applying Behavioural Science to
The Home Hardware Market
A Report by
KARISHMA RAJARATNAM
Behaviour Change Consultant
This is only a preview of the research.
Proprietory information of BCC.

2. Preface
As the famous saying goes, home is where the heart is. The fact that our homes are an
important part of our personal lives makes the home hardware market an exciting area
of study for behavioural psychologists. Home hardware purchases can be quick, such as
when a consumer visits the store to purchase nuts and bolts, or well thought out, as in
the case of planning a living room redesign. Whatever the decision process, it is inevitable
that consumers are susceptible to a number of biases when making decisions regarding
what forms their personal space. Three areas of study that can provide a home hardware
marketer with useful insights are personality psychology, evolutionary psychology and
behavioural economics.

3. Evolutionary Psychology
The Influence of Evolutionary Needs on Consumer
Behaviour
Many shopping motives have underlying evolutionary influences that drive choice.
Evolutionary explanations for human and animal cognition are composed of proximate
and ultimate motives (Griskevicius & Kenrick, 2013). The proximate motive is the
seemingly “external” motive. If the individual is asked why they are eating a chocolate
cake, they may reason that they were hungry. This explanation is a proximal explanation.
An ultimate explanation would be if they said that human beings evolved to respond
positively to the sight and smell of food. In an environment that was often scarce in
calories, a positive response to calorie dense food helped our ancestors obtain calories
to survive.
People can undergo both these motivations at the same time, as is often the case. In the
context of consumer behaviour, the proximate motive is is frequently highlighted as
important because shoppers often make decisions on a whim and instantaneously.
However, understanding the ultimate motive will put marketers at an advantage by
enabling them to study the underlying evolutionary influences on consumption, and
thereby strategize on how these can be catered to marketers needs. Both these motives
can be compared to what modern day behavioural economists call the system 1 - the
quick information processor in comparison to system 2, the elaborate decision maker.
Just as understanding how system 1 operates is useful to marketers, an understanding of
how system 2 works is equally essential to deliver a strong campaign. Similarly, an
understanding of both our evolutionary motivations (i.e. proximal & ultimate motives) is
essential, particularly, for marketers in the home hardware industry, as shelter is a
necessity for survival.
Self-Protection Motive
The self-protection motive has been heavily studied by evolutionary psychologists over
the years. Activating the self-protection motive reduces risk taking (Lerner & Keltner,
2001) and increases loss aversion and the likelihood of the status quo bias (Jost &
Hunyady, 2005). A study by Griskevikus et al. (2009a) found that fear leads to
effectiveness of social proof appeals (e.g. “best-selling brand, the choice of thousands”).
This is because fear promotes an adaptive strategy of joining together with others: just
like animals herd closer to their group in the face of a predator: in the face of danger,
people seek a safety in numbers. A self-protection bias would lead consumers to make a
brand choice that the majority prefers, irrespective of which brand it actually is.
Griskevikus et al. (2006) found this in a study using Mercedes Benz and BMW cars.
Activating a self-protection motive influences individuals to desire products that satisfy a
need for safety.

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