Abstract
Behavioural economics draws on many different academic disciplines from cognitive psychology and social theory through to the newer disciplines of (social) neuroscience, evolutionary anthropology and genetics. Marketing and communications practitioners are now embracing it because it puts human behaviour centre stage rather than attitudes, beliefs and opinions. Contemporary qualitative research also draws on many of the same disciplines, and also others such as semiotics, linguistics and epidemiology. However, it has always been more comfortable describing motivations, attitudes, beliefs and opinions rather than behaviour itself. Many of the principles described in behavioural economics (BE) challenge the very nature of qualitative thinking and practice. This paper examines the relationship between the two models of thinking and how each can benefit from a greater understanding of the other.
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