Who decides our preferences? Abstract Why consumer behavior based on emotional research is valuable for business?

Our brains may process emotions before cognitions1. It has been shown that it is important to assess the factors that underline a behavior. Ive adapted my research on Prof. Antonio Damasios theory of human judgment and decision making2.Expanded, when we have less options our brain seem to be more emotional satisfied. In the same line, G. Gigerenzer and H. Brighton stressed that heuristics are efficient cognitive processes that ignore information (...) reviewing less-ismore effects(see choice overload). Combining these 2 theories, I will demonstrate that a pattern of consumers of induced touristic image can influence business welfare. If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they will do business with you3. This is where emotions meet intelligence creating profit, a combination between neuromarketing and neuroeconomics. Approach The purpose of this research is to offer a deeper understanding of the social and economic behavior of Romanian travelers, with a particular focus starting after 1989, `to understand, predict, and ultimately influence consumers4`. Rising complexity of theeconomiclife, led to the necessity of a better understanding of the economic human behavior. For this, individuals behavior should be analyzed from a double side, as a producer, and as a consumer. The increase of purchasing power, for example, together with the educational and cultural level, gives the buyer the possibility to satisfy more needs, on a higher social cognition level. And this must be taken into account by the producer. The theoretical framework combines several approaches related to the behavioral analysis like: Watson and Skinner (1991), who focus on the experimental psychology, based on a stimulus-response strategy;George Herbert Meadwho offers a softer view on social behaviorism; Bourdieus corner stone research on taste and distinction (1984) and on social capital (1980, 1985) which is one form of individuals capital endowment, together with the economic, the cultural and the symbolic, respectively, and the ethno-geographic approach (Mitchell et al. 2012). I have also experimented Harold Kelleys casual attibution bsed on: consensus, distinctiveness, consistency. Existing evidence shows that contextual factors (region, type of habitat, family size, etc.), generational differences (age), and gender, together with the cultural (education level), economic (revenue) and social capital (occupational status/social status), have proven to be determinant in defining consumer preferences for cultural, leisure and entertainment activities. We expect therefore these factors to play also a role in explaining individuals tourist behavior. Methods The methods were applied within a research project co financed by European Social Found through Sectoral Operational Program Human Resources Development 2007-2013. We have mainly observed 10950 people (travelers and tourism managers): interviewed over 700 Romanian and foreign tourists, analyzed questionnaires of 5000 foreign tourists, and 5600 Romanian tourists, interviewed 350 tourism managers. Also, we have examined these subjects behavior within brainstorming hours, focus Groups and desk research.
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Social Psychology class, Scott Plous, Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University. http://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1008328&CFID=19717418&CFTOKEN=17125369 3 Zig Zigler quote 4 Neuromarketing for dummies, Steve Genco, Wiley, 2013.

The different perspectives offered by each theoretical framework and human behaviour examined are an advantage as they allow for a better understanding of conscious and unconscious preferences. How does the brain make decisions that affect our moral behavior and economics5? The statistic analysis measured the relationship between the variables analyzed, tested for correlations among variables, estimating regression coefficients or applying segmentation methods in order to determine tourist profiles. Hypothesis testing methods allowed to get answers to the research questions. The main software used is the SPSS.The aim of this research was to demonstrate how emotions play their role in decision-making process, an imperative knowledge for a growing business. Outcomes I identified here an important question to answer on: does induced emotional image is an influential factor in defining individuals motivation? Or to acquire knowledge about how the brain responds to advertising, including attention, emotions, memory and decision making.6 The purpose of the analysis is to answer several sub-research questions: - Which are the main determinants in choosing a touristic destination and the main socioeconomic profiles that can be found among the Romanian travelers? - Are the boundaries between the social classes dissolving, when comes about touristic preferences, or not? - Can we talk about concept of rational behavior applied to the tourist consumer? Some of the toughest decisions in life are so-called should vs. want decisions7. Practical consequences for businesses By time, it has become obvious that investigation of human behavior must have a multidisciplinary approach: psychological, sociological, and economical. Several objectives are pursued along this research, among the most important (How brand value is perceived?) being: - To determine perception about the decision-making when it comes to attributes valued by tourists (see i.e., Beverley Sparks and Grace Wen Pan, 2009, who analyzed the profile of the Chinese Outbound tourists, their attitudes, constraints and information sources used). - To research what is the image of Romania for the Romanian tourists that travel within Romania (see i.e., Howard Hughes, Danielle Allen, 2005, about Cultural tourism in Central and Eastern Europe: the views of induced image formation agents. Identity, culture and space). - Determine Romanians potential as international tourists (see i.e., Light and Dumbrveanu, 1999, about Romanian tourism in the post-communist period). - Develop a tourist preferences assessment system (see i.e., Song, van der Veen, Li and Chen, 2011, who worked on the Hong Kong tourist satisfaction index). Upon this research I identified the most valuable attribute for a touristic business: emotions play the second best role in decision interface8. Romanian travelers unconscious decide for a trip advertised with emotions, and conscious, through financial statue.

http://dornsife.usc.edu/bci/research/

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http://kursuskatalog.cbs.dk/2012-2013/KAN-CM_A140.aspx#

Behavioral economics in action class, an abridged version of Soman, Dilip, Jing Xu and Amar Cheema (2010), Decision Points: A Theory Emerges, Rotman Magazine, Winter 2010, pp.64 -68. For further information on the magazine, please visit http://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/rotmanmag/index.html 8 Decoded - The Science Behind Why We Buy, Phil Barden, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 4/2013