Consumer Behavior: The Single Road for Effective Policy-Making

Abstract

The observation of the decision making, purchasing patterns and habits of the general public? is known as consumer behavior. Despite of the fact that individuals behave differently, a number of common features can be observed in one's decision-making process. How can we influence it, is centreof large part of the work we do and will only continue to gain importance in the coming years. This was reinforced by the Future Challengesexercise. Understanding motivations and health related behavior is essential for policy-making because it allows us to better define the most effective tools for influencing behaviors and implementing the most effective policies. In terms of policy-making, there are many initiatives or behavioral interventions claiming to be able to shape consumer behavior. However, they often only enhance knowledge or raise awareness. The key challenge for effective health and consumer policies lies in bridging the gap between change in attitudes and actual changes in behavior ? which is often referred to as the 'Attitude-Intention-Behavior Gap.'