On the Evolutionary Bases of Consumer Reinforcement

Abstract

This article locates consumer behavior analysis within the modern neo-Darwinian synthesis, seeking to establish an interface between the ultimate-level theorizing of human evolutionary psychology and the proximate level of inquiry typically favored by operant learning theorists. Following an initial overview of the central tenets of neo-Darwinism, the article draws upon the evolutionary psychology literature on consumption in order to reinterpret utilitarian and informational reinforcement, exploring the ways in which current consumer learning may be shaped by past natural and sexual selection pressures within contexts as diverse as food choice, preference for popular music genres, and conspicuous consumption activities.

KEYWORDS:

• consumer behavior
• evolution
• neo-Darwinism
• radical behaviorism
• reinforcement