Cognitive Ease and Strain

I am really excited to discuss one of my favourite theories I have picked up from my time at University, known as Cognitive Ease, which comes hand in hand with Cognitive Strain. For those of you that this is a brand new theory, Kahneman proposed that our brains favour information that is easy to process, so for example, you may find you buy the same brands and products in different shops or as slightly different version as we recognise the fonts and colours. The information processing is easy, and our subconscious mind loves easy decisions.

Cognitive Strain, which you may have already guessed, is the complete opposite. Cognitive Strain for a marketeer is their worse nightmare. The whole concept may seem simplistic and perhaps even common sense for some, but these are easy factors to overlook. In an ever-evolving world where everyone wants to become a pioneer in their field, it’s easy to slip up and over complicate things. For this exact reason, I like to take a minute every now and then and ask myself if things are too complicated, are my consumers likely to miss my point and loose interest?

Although small, these theories are mighty, and not to be overlooked. The diagram below, taken from Kahneman's book shows how the process of Cognitive Ease works. Take a look ad try to familiarise yourself with the format, can you apply any of these processes to your own experiences?

Kahneman’s book ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ (see below) hooked me with this theory and I enjoyed that section so much, I had to go back and read the whole thing from the start. I would really recommend looking into his work if this has intrigued you as it has shaped the way I look at my own consumer behaviour!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post, please let me know what your thoughts are on Cognitive Ease, have you heard of any opposing theories? Do you have any points you’d like to add?