Reflective-Impulsive Model
The Reflective-Impulsive Model (RIM) is a psychological model that aims to explain social behavior with the help of reflexive and impulsive processes.
overview
The Reflective-Impulsive Model (RIM) by Fritz Strack and Roland Deutsch describes two mental systems that differ in representation and processing. These systems can coexist and interact with one another. In RIM, behavior is seen as a sequence of behavioral schemes that can be influenced and activated by both systems. In the impulsive system, information processing processes run automatically, quickly and unconsciously. They are based on learned associations and motivational orientation. The reflexive system is based on learned information about certain values and facts and is the "rational" generator of behavior. It forms meta-representations that activate information from the associative network, process it further and then result in a behavioral intention. The reflexive system is used when there is sufficient cognitive capacity and motivation and requires conscious reflection, including about possible consequences of the behavior. The model was awarded the theoretical innovation prize of a US company.
Emergence
In the history of attempts to explain human behavior, it is assumed that man is a "rational" being, which means that man only does what is good for him. The akrasia phenomenon describes the exact opposite: people do not always do what is good for them. One attempt to explain this phenomenon is that it occurs due to a lack of knowledge. Another theory is that behavior can occur automatically or unconsciously. The theory that human behavior can be influenced by different determinants was also supported by Sigmund Freud . He also emphasized the unconscious aspect of behavior. His theories stimulated further research in this area. Most of the models that followed were two-process models that differentiate between two information processing processes: rule-based processes and associative processes. The difference between the various models is whether the processes occur simultaneously or individually. These two-process models were later renewed and improved by integrating, for example, newer research in neuroscience. The problem of akrasia went unnoticed, however. This is where Strack and Deutsch come in to create a more comprehensive two-system model in which the processes work in parallel and which also includes motivational and cognitive mechanisms.
10 theses of the model
Thesis 1
The basic assumption of this thesis is that social behavior depends on two information processing systems. A reflexive and an impulsive system . These two systems differ in information processing and representation. In the reflexive system , behavior is caused by a decision-making process. Knowledge of the value and consequences of the option for action are weighed up and a decision is made. Then a behavior pattern is intentionally activated. In the impulsive system , however, a behavior pattern is activated unintentionally or without a specific goal.
Thesis 2
The two systems work in parallel, with the impulsive system always involved in processing and the reflexive system partially not working. Every incoming information is processed by the impulsive system and depending on how intense the stimulus is and how much attention is paid to it, it also reaches the reflexive system . At this stage the two systems interact.
Thesis 3
The reflexive system needs more cognitive capacity than the impulsive system . The impulsive system can control behavior even under suboptimal conditions and is less prone to disturbances. The reflexive system depends on the intensity of arousal. It works best at moderate levels of arousal. Too low and too high arousal lead to poor reflexive processing.
Thesis 4
In the systems, elements are linked cognitively differently. In the reflective system , elements are linked by semantic relationships to which a value is assigned. The impulsive system links elements associatively on the basis of similarity. Learning plays a big role here, as it works in a similar way to a simple memory system. The impulsive system can be compared to long-term memory. The reflexive system is more like a temporary "camp". It is responsible for planning, reasoning, and reasoning. It generates semantic knowledge by assigning a value to an element. Conclusions can be drawn that go beyond the given information.
Thesis 5
If different schemes are activated by both systems that contradict each other, a conflict can arise. Depending on how strong the activation of the scheme is, the more activated scheme is executed. This can depend, for example, on the available cognitive capacity. The reflexive system will be stronger when there is enough capacity. The impulsive system, on the other hand, is more likely to control behavior under suboptimal conditions, such as deprivation of basic needs.
Thesis 6
The systems use different processes to induce behavior. In the reflexive system , behavior follows a decision. This is based on an assessment of the future consequences, their values and the probability of reaching this future through a certain behavior. The impulsive system activates behavior patterns and thereby evokes behavior.
Thesis 7
The time that is needed in the reflexive system between the decision and the execution of the action is filled by the impulsive system through appropriate behavior. This process is called "intending". It ends when the goal of the decision is met.
Thesis 8
The impulsive system processes information and performs actions based on two motivational orientations: approach and avoidance.
Thesis 9
When the existing motivational orientation is compatible with the information processing process, affect and execution of behavior, the process is simplified. For example, if the impulsive system is approach oriented, it makes it easier to process positive information, experience positive emotions, and perform approximation. This thesis also implies a causal backward influence, that is, the behavior can also influence the processing, as is the case with the facial feedback hypothesis .
Thesis 10
When the basic needs are deprived, the behavior pattern is activated which has already led to satisfaction.
Areas of application in social psychology
Explicit-implicit models
The reflective-impulsive model extends the explicit-implicit models. Implicit processes are localized in the impulsive system and explicit processes in the reflexive system . So explicit steps use knowledge and values, just like the reflexive system , and implicit steps take place in associative structures, like the impulsive system .
Settings
From the point of view of the reflective-impulsive model , the behavioral component of attitudes has a reflexive and an impulsive meaning. In the reflexive system there is evaluation and a behavioral decision is made, while in the impulsive system behavior is generated that is directly associated with the object of the attitude.
Consumer behavior
The reflective-impulsive model contributes to a better understanding of the psychological aspects of consumption. Applied to examples such as impulse buying, it explains what processes are involved in consumption. For example, even if a purchase is made impulsively, the consumer still has to go to the checkout and pay. So the purchase is not entirely controlled by the Impulsive System . The systems interact. On the other hand, a seemingly reflexive purchase, such as a car, is not only driven by thoughtful decisions, but also by impulsive affects that color or design can evoke. In consumer behavior, reflexive and impulsive processes play a large role, although they can depend on personal and contextual circumstances.
literature
- Strack, F. & Deutsch, R. (2004): Reflective and impulsive determinants of social behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8 (3), 220-247.
- Strack, F., Werth, L. & Deutsch, R. (2006): Reflective and Impulsive Determinats of Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 16 (3), 205-216.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jochen Mayerl: Cognitive foundations of social behavior. Framing, attitudes and rationality . VS, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-531-16162-4 , p. 116.
- ↑ Reinout W. Wiers and Alan W. Stacy (Eds.): Handbook of Implicit Cognition and Addiction , Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, ISBN 1412909740 , p. 46.