Heurísticas, nudges, vieses e consumo: uma análise comportamental sobre os padrões de consumo das classes sociais

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the consumption behavior of individuals from different social classes through the lens of Behavioral Economics, investigating how heuristics, cognitive biases, nudges, and decision noise influence economic choices. In contrast to the traditional model of full rationality, the research assumes that individual decisions are shaped by cognitive limitations, emotional factors, and contextual conditions. Methodologically, the study combines a theoretical literature review grounded in key authors of Behavioral Economics, such as Daniel Kahneman, Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Eldar Shafir, with a quantitative empirical analysis based on a structured questionnaire. The collected data were examined using descriptive statistics, including bar charts, pie charts, and boxplots, allowing the identification of behavioral patterns and decision variability across different socioeconomic groups. The results indicate that individuals from low- and middle-income groups show a higher propensity for impulse buying and greater callousness to scarcity cues, even when they report planning their expenses, highlighting the effects of cognitive scarcity. Conversely, higher-income individuals also exhibit biased behaviors, mainly expressed through symbolic consumption associated with status, identity, and social prestige. Additionally, a high level of intra-group heterogeneity was observed, reinforcing the presence of decision noise and the limitations of models based solely on income and full rationality. The findings suggest that Behavioral Economics provides a more realistic theoretical and empirical framework for understanding consumer behavior in real-world contexts, contributing to both market strategies and the design of more effective public policies.