# The Responsible Consumer Paradox By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-02-11 Conducting business ethically can be a challenge. This issue is becoming increasingly complex as we learn more about human psychology. Larger organizations often employ psychologists to understand better how to leverage subconscious aspects of consumer decision-making to increase sales. This isn’t new, but it is becoming increasingly subtle and effective. There are many aspects to this concern. When discussing the ethical aspects of this issue, several points are often made. First, a psychologist might correctly claim that if they didn’t do this type of research of businesses, somebody else would. This is likely correct. Market pressures are such that this type of research will likely be conducted by somebody. Passing up the personal opportunity to gain employment from this type of research would likely not change the fact that it will be conducted. The next argument is that ultimately the consumer is responsible for one’s purchases. This is where the ethical argument becomes more interesting. There is an obvious disconnect between the premise and conclusion of this argument. One will admit that research is being conducted to manipulate consumer decisions based on subtle subconscious aspects of human psychology (keywords being manipulate and subconscious), and then conclude that somehow responsible consumers know better. Do they? This seems obviously incongruent. Individual responsibility is overrated, overvalued, and selectively used to obfuscate rhetorically institutional and social culpability. #### Related Items [[Business]] [[Psychology]] [[Ethics]] [[Marketing]]