Alina Selyukh

How do you feel about shopping?

I mean, this is kind of the perfect recipe for the stores of that mall. You know, they are thrilled when people like us come in without a plan, with no list, with no budget. It's kind of ideal for them. Right. Because here's what happens when you shop. In your brain, there's a constant push and pull between what can be described as the emotional and the rational parts.

I mean, this is kind of the perfect recipe for the stores of that mall. You know, they are thrilled when people like us come in without a plan, with no list, with no budget. It's kind of ideal for them. Right. Because here's what happens when you shop. In your brain, there's a constant push and pull between what can be described as the emotional and the rational parts.

I mean, this is kind of the perfect recipe for the stores of that mall. You know, they are thrilled when people like us come in without a plan, with no list, with no budget. It's kind of ideal for them. Right. Because here's what happens when you shop. In your brain, there's a constant push and pull between what can be described as the emotional and the rational parts.

That's Carolyn Yoon, who's one of the top experts on consumer neuroscience. She's a professor of marketing at the Michigan Ross School of Business.

That's Carolyn Yoon, who's one of the top experts on consumer neuroscience. She's a professor of marketing at the Michigan Ross School of Business.

That's Carolyn Yoon, who's one of the top experts on consumer neuroscience. She's a professor of marketing at the Michigan Ross School of Business.

All right, are you ready? I'm so ready. Wait, wait, don't look, don't look. How do you feel right now? I feel okay. Okay, now look at the sale. Buy three, get three free. Clearance for $2. I feel like they have that every day. Everything is so sparkly. Sparkly and shiny. Butterfly! They're jingle bells.

All right, are you ready? I'm so ready. Wait, wait, don't look, don't look. How do you feel right now? I feel okay. Okay, now look at the sale. Buy three, get three free. Clearance for $2. I feel like they have that every day. Everything is so sparkly. Sparkly and shiny. Butterfly! They're jingle bells.

All right, are you ready? I'm so ready. Wait, wait, don't look, don't look. How do you feel right now? I feel okay. Okay, now look at the sale. Buy three, get three free. Clearance for $2. I feel like they have that every day. Everything is so sparkly. Sparkly and shiny. Butterfly! They're jingle bells.

I like how we said it's the magnet for teens and tweens, but I am the one losing my mind over the sparkly things. Yeah, we touched everything. We really did. Okay, so back to how sales work in your brain. So anticipation plays a huge role in getting you to buy stuff.

I like how we said it's the magnet for teens and tweens, but I am the one losing my mind over the sparkly things. Yeah, we touched everything. We really did. Okay, so back to how sales work in your brain. So anticipation plays a huge role in getting you to buy stuff.

I like how we said it's the magnet for teens and tweens, but I am the one losing my mind over the sparkly things. Yeah, we touched everything. We really did. Okay, so back to how sales work in your brain. So anticipation plays a huge role in getting you to buy stuff.

When you spot something that you like, for example, you might start to imagine yourself having a great new life in which you have jingle bell earrings. Even more so if there's a pleasant memory involved, like if you've had jingle bell earrings before and you are already predisposed to liking them.

When you spot something that you like, for example, you might start to imagine yourself having a great new life in which you have jingle bell earrings. Even more so if there's a pleasant memory involved, like if you've had jingle bell earrings before and you are already predisposed to liking them.

When you spot something that you like, for example, you might start to imagine yourself having a great new life in which you have jingle bell earrings. Even more so if there's a pleasant memory involved, like if you've had jingle bell earrings before and you are already predisposed to liking them.

Our neural processes are super fast, so a lot starts running through your brain kind of at the same time, including the counterbalance to the reward system, which is the cognitive mechanism, like your prudent little accountant.

Our neural processes are super fast, so a lot starts running through your brain kind of at the same time, including the counterbalance to the reward system, which is the cognitive mechanism, like your prudent little accountant.

Our neural processes are super fast, so a lot starts running through your brain kind of at the same time, including the counterbalance to the reward system, which is the cognitive mechanism, like your prudent little accountant.

That was definitely me shopping under stress. We're living on the edge. But so far, process-wise, pretty straightforward, right? We see something we like, we get excited, then we go, whoa, that's expensive. It's like a mental scale with the dopamine-fueled reward mechanism motivating you on one side and the internal accountant on the other side in your frontal cortex.