Invisible Determinants of Consumer Choice: the Unconscious in the Platform Economy

<jats:p>This article examines the role of unconscious mechanisms in shaping economic choice in the platform economy. It is shown that, in the context of digitalization, the unconscious ceases to be an exclusively internal characteristic of the individual psyche and becomes an object of technological and institutional mediation. Based on an interdisciplinary analysis of behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, institutional theory, and research on digital platforms, the concept of the unconscious as it applies to economic choice is clarified. A typology of cognitive unconscious mechanisms is proposed, including sensory-perceptual, implicit-mnemonic, semantic-integrative, affective-motivational, and social-implicit mechanisms, as well as mechanisms of attitudes and automatisms. It is substantiated that the digital environment of the platform economy acts as a mediator and amplifier of these mechanisms due to the algorithmic behavioral influence circuit «data – forecast – action – new reaction». A digital choice architecture is emerging in the digital environment, where user behavioral traces are transformed into algorithmic predictions and returned to them in the form of personalized interface effects. Using the example of the Ozon marketplace, this study demonstrates how unconscious mechanisms are institutionalized and influence consumer choice through product rankings, visual accents, ratings, discount signals, elements of urgency, bonus programs, and gamification. It is concluded that the platform economy not only expands choice but also creates a new environment for its hidden behavioral coordination.</jats:p>