--- title: A Q&A with Dr. Kelley Gullo Wight about how couples make joint purchase decisions description: Explore how couples communicate during joint purchase decisions and how marketers can leverage these insights to enhance consumer engagement. image: https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hubfs/0_F4Sh7dbkFX948I5F.webp --- [Skip to content](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/a-qa-with-dr.-kelley-gullo-wight-about-how-couples-make-joint-purchase-decisions#main-content) [![Olson Zaltman logo](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hubfs/OZ%20yellow.svg)Homepage](https://olsonzaltman.com) - [Industry Gap](https://olsonzaltman.com/industry-gap/) - [Capabilities](https://olsonzaltman.com/capabilities/) - [Our Work](https://olsonzaltman.com/our-work/) - [News And Resources](https://olsonzaltman.com/news-and-resources/) - [News](https://olsonzaltman.com/news/) - [Blog](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/) - [Articles And Books](https://olsonzaltman.com/articles-and-books/) - [In The Press](https://olsonzaltman.com/in-the-press/) - [Work With Us](https://olsonzaltman.com/work-with-us/) - [Contact Us](https://olsonzaltman.com/work-with-us/) - [Careers and Internships](https://olsonzaltman.com/careers-and-internships/) - [The Team](https://olsonzaltman.com/the-team/) [Contact Us](https://olsonzaltman.com/work-with-us/) - [Industry Gap](https://olsonzaltman.com/industry-gap/) - [Capabilities](https://olsonzaltman.com/capabilities/) - [Our Work](https://olsonzaltman.com/our-work/) - [News And Resources](https://olsonzaltman.com/news-and-resources/) - [News](https://olsonzaltman.com/news/) - [Blog](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/) - [Articles And Books](https://olsonzaltman.com/articles-and-books/) - [In The Press](https://olsonzaltman.com/in-the-press/) - [Work With Us](https://olsonzaltman.com/work-with-us/) - [Contact Us](https://olsonzaltman.com/work-with-us/) - [Careers and Internships](https://olsonzaltman.com/careers-and-internships/) - [The Team](https://olsonzaltman.com/the-team/) [Contact Us](https://olsonzaltman.com/work-with-us/) ![Dr. Kelley Gullo Wight](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hs-fs/hubfs/0_F4Sh7dbkFX948I5F.webp?width=1400&height=934&name=0_F4Sh7dbkFX948I5F.webp) Interview Blog # A Q&A with Dr. Kelley Gullo Wight about how couples make joint purchase decisions ![James Forr](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) James Forr October 20, 2026 A Q&A with Dr. Kelley Gullo Wight about how couples make joint purchase decisions 10:26 ***The TL;DR:*** *Consumers use four communication patterns when shopping jointly. Marketers can use their understanding of these patterns to nudge consumers toward a purchase decision. Researchers should track which purchase decisions are most commonly shared and adjust their research accordingly to include perspectives from both partners.* \--- One of the most fundamental marketing questions is how consumers make decisions. Fundamental, but also really hard. Researchers often have no choice but to rely on self-reported accounts of how people believe they have come to a decision—even though the way we believe we make decisions is not how we make decisions at all. Kelley Gullo Wight, assistant professor of marketing at Indiana University Bloomington, and her co-authors Holly Howe from the University of British Columbia, Danielle Brick from the University of Connecticut, and Gavan Fitzsimons from Duke University take on this challenge in a paper in the *Journal of Marketing Research* titled [“Communication Patterns in Joint Decision-Making.”](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00222437261439058) With audio recorders in hand, the researchers followed pairs of people (usually married couples or romantic partners, but sometimes friends and even a parent and adult child) as they shopped in a home improvement store. Then they got on Zoom and observed couples shopping online at IKEA. They learned that the joint decision-making process is as tangled and twisted as an old garden hose. But there are some consistent patterns that sales associates (or even AI assistants) can be trained to recognize, which can help them mediate the process and nudge consumers toward a purchase. (Our discussion has been lightly edited for length and clarity.) **James Forr: Can you briefly describe the four communication patterns that emerged as you watched these pairs of people shop?** Kelly Gullo Wight: We found four different patterns in which people are communicating. When they are making decisions, people might ***coordinate*.** They are asking clarifying questions, getting on the same page, talking about each other’s preferences. Another pattern is ***contrast***. Imagine shopping for a couch. Contrast is when you say, “But leather might be really nice with our rug.” Or, “I know you say you like green, but I’m worried that is going to bring out a weird color in our wall.” Sometimes someone is trying to persuade the other person toward their preference, but other times the person who is contrasting might not have an end goal beyond making sure it’s a really thought-out idea and making sure they’re considering all the possibilities. That’s what we call a devil’s advocate. But they both use similar language: “What if?” or “What about?” The next one is ***build***. This was one we were really excited about. A lot of prior research and thinking is focused on persuasion and contrast, but we saw a lot of evidence that people build together: *“Hey, I like this green couch.”* *“Yes, and it’s going to match the rug.”* *“Yes, and it’s going to look good with the wall.”* They’re basically developing a preference together and expanding on all the reasons something might be good or bad. You’re affirming each other. The final communication pattern we saw was ***one-sided***. This is where one partner is trying to engage, but the other person is really passively responding. The most extreme example we saw was a couple looking for carpeting. After they spoke to the salesperson, one person wanted to look at options, but her partner had already walked away. She’s calling, “Wait! Where did you go? Where did you go?” He comes back and she says, “I think this one might look good.” And he goes, “Okay, whatever you want.” Sometimes they’re successful in getting their partner re-engaged, but other times it turns into an individual decision. ![Dr. Kelly Gullo Wight](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Dr.%20Kelly%20Gullo%20Wight.webp?width=399&height=399&name=Dr.%20Kelly%20Gullo%20Wight.webp) Dr. Kelly Gullo Wight from Indiana University Bloomington **JF: You mentioned that a lot of past research has focused on persuasion, but persuasion only accounted for about six percent of the discussions you monitored. What do you think accounts for that discrepancy?**  KGW: A lot of prior research used retrospective methods, while we were looking at conversations as they unfold. If you have already bought a car and you are asked what the process was like,  persuasion might be really salient in your mind. For example, maybe it is less interesting that we both wanted an SUV than the fact that I wanted a black car and my partner wanted a white car and we had to come to some kind of agreement. Also, researchers have gone out to specifically understand persuasion. That is not unreasonable, but if you look for persuasion, that is what you will find. We wanted to take a step back and see what else is going on. If you think about decisions you make with friends or parents or a partner, you don’t spend all day battling between different preferences. **JF: Those discussions are not singular. People flow from one pattern to another in pretty intricate ways. Is there a pattern to how those conversations unfold?** KGW: Most of the dyads used at least three different communication patterns throughout their conversation. The most consistent pattern is that coordination is kind of an intermediary. Maybe we are building on an attribute or idea, but then we go back to coordination. Then maybe we transition to contrast and playing devil’s advocate, but then we go back to coordination. > “Salespeople are trained on a decision funnel that is linear. But when you hear how people are talking, it’s not linear.” While the general structure is consistent across the decision life cycle, the content of the discussion can vary. They might be talking about the models in the store and then ask each other if they want to check out the models online, so they have shifted to a discussion about information search. Then they might switch to evaluating alternatives. And then when you get to choice, you’re clarifying and getting on the same page. What we learn about in marketing classes, and what salespeople are trained on, is a decision funnel that is linear. But when you hear how people are talking, it’s not linear. People start with a need recognition, then they might go into information search, then they might go back to need recognition, then they might jump straight to evaluating alternatives, then back to need recognition. That was something we didn’t expect to find. We also found that persuasion was more likely in need recognition than at the choice itself. **JF: You didn’t study this, but I wonder if we also break from those linear patterns when we make purchase decisions on our own? I suspect we have similar conversations with ourselves, largely unconsciously, and those internal dialogues might loop around on themselves in similar ways.** KGW: This is speculative, but I suspect individual decision making isn’t a linear process either. But I suspect that joint decision making probably exacerbates that. You now have another person who’s saying, “Wait, wait, wait. Let’s go back. Let’s think. Do we actually need a couch, or do we just need to get a cover for our existing couch?” And you’re also not just managing your own preferences, but you’re thinking about the other person’s preferences. **JF: I am asking you to speculate again because you didn’t study this either, but how do you think AI might affect these dynamics?** KGW: If companies have AI agents on their websites, the way people are talking in those chats may simulate a discussion with a decision partner. We might see some similar patterns in how they are responding to the AI and how AI might respond back. We might see more of a joint decision-making process for individual decision makers. In terms of joint decisions, AI is adding a third conversationalist into the party. You can imagine one decision maker using AI and relaying the outcome to the other decision partner. AI could be used as an expert. It could be used to find ways of compromising. It could be used in an attempt at persuasion. > “If you are sending follow up surveys to one email address or one phone number you might not be getting the full picture.” **JF: I have been with our firm, Olson Zaltman, a long time, but off the top of my head, I can only recall one instance where a client asked us to study a couple’s decision making. Should brands slightly change how they approach studying consumer decision making?** KGW: It may be important to understand how many of your customers are making this a joint decision. We know from some preliminary data that did not get published that, for example, if I am going to a wedding it would be uncommon to go find a dress completely on my own. I’m going to talk to my mom. I’m going to talk to my friends. Maybe I’ll go to the mall with somebody. Early in my adulthood, I bought a car and took my parents with me. So it’s important to understand how many customers are shopping jointly. We also find that different decision partners can have different levels of satisfaction with the outcome. So if you are sending follow-up surveys to that one email address or one phone number you got asking people how satisfied they were, you might not be getting the full picture if you’re not hearing from both people. ![0\_F4Sh7dbkFX948I5F](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hs-fs/hubfs/0_F4Sh7dbkFX948I5F.webp?width=1400&height=934&name=0_F4Sh7dbkFX948I5F.webp)How happy were they with their purchase? You might want to ask them both. (Photo by [Juli Kosolapova](https://unsplash.com/@yuli_superson?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral)) **JF: If I am a marketer, is there anything else I can do right away in response to these insights?** KGW: You can imagine a car salesman, a store associate, a realtor, or a financial advisor—who all often work with couples trying to make decisions—understanding how people are communicating during the decision process. For example, that person might be trained to nudge them toward more of a build communication pattern when they are at the decision stage. Like, “I hear you debating between these two things. Can we find a compromise solution?” If you have an AI agent on your site, it could simulate a store associate helping a person or joint decision partners navigate a shared decision. Online there is no associate to help mediate that conversation, but an AI agent might be trained to do that even when people are at home. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.olsonzaltman.com%2Fa-qa-with-dr.-kelley-gullo-wight-about-how-couples-make-joint-purchase-decisions](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.olsonzaltman.com%2Fa-qa-with-dr.-kelley-gullo-wight-about-how-couples-make-joint-purchase-decisions) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hs-fs/hubfs/abeb60cf-cdc0-48e4-8a20-32e686ae5592.jpeg?width=1200&height=896&name=abeb60cf-cdc0-48e4-8a20-32e686ae5592.jpeg) Z-Files Marketing to two audiences: What AI reads and what people rememberr](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/marketing-to-two-audiences-what-ai-reads-and-what-people-rememberr) ### [![](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image%20(4).png?width=437&height=230&name=image%20(4).png) Z-Files What a Snack’s Name Says Below the Surface](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/what-a-snacks-name-says-below-the-surface) [![Olson Zaltman](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/hubfs/OZ%20yellow.svg "Olson Zaltman")](https://www.olsonzaltman.com/)        Sign Up For Our Newsletter ### Get Social [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/olson-zaltman-associates)    [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/olsonzaltman/)    [Email](mailto:lzaltman@olsonzaltman.com) If You're Facing A Decision Where The Stakes Are Too High And You Can't Risk Being Wrong, We Should Talk. 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