Automatic Impulse

An automatic impulse is a behavior or reaction that occurs almost instantaneously and without significant thought or reflection. An example would be a person’s eyes clenching shut when an object moves toward him or her quickly; the body acts on impulse to protect itself, instead of waiting for the person to consciously realize the danger and decide to avoid it. A related but separate concept is that of automatic cognition, which arises in the context of psychology and is defined as an involuntary thought pattern triggered by a specific circumstance.

Within an economic context, a common marketing strategy is to try to get consumers to make purchases on automatic impulse, without thinking critically about the product, its features, or its cost. To accomplish this, advertising often ...