Researchers discovered that appetitive stimuli can induce a shared state in consumers, leading them to choose smaller, sooner options in unrelated domains. In experiments, women were more likely to splurge on clothing after smelling chocolate chip cookies, and made unplanned purchases when exposed to the scent of a cookie-scented candle.
New research in Journal of Consumer Research reveals a significant difference between how men and women view stories about protagonists who overcome challenges. Men enjoyed stories more when they were specifically told that they are fictionalized, allowing them to relax emotion norms and become more involved in the story.
This special issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences presents exciting research on flower evolution, pollination, and reproductive strategies in flowering plants. The focus is on evolutionary transitions, which are key elements of biological diversification.
The Journal of Human Capital is a new publication that explores the role of education, training, and knowledge in economic life. Key findings include the impact of household vs. marketplace rewards on education, as well as the effect of student loans on lower-income families' college options.
Researchers Katherine White and Darren W. Dahl found that consumers actively avoid products associated with groups they want to distance themselves from, but not those of outgroups they don't belong to or aren't motivated to avoid. The study highlights the role of social pressure in shaping consumer choices.
A study by Michelle L. Roehm and Michael K. Brady found that high-equity brands initially face a disadvantage after failure, but may fare better when the issue is severe. This phenomenon can be attributed to a reduction in cognitive resources, allowing customers to focus on resolving the problem rather than re-evaluating the brand.
A study by Rebecca W. Hamilton and Debora Viana Thompson found that consumers who try products before buying them prefer simpler products that are easier to use, rather than those with more features. After direct experience, consumers focus on product feasibility over desirability.
A new study in Journal of Consumer Research found that optimistic thinking about future goals can lead to detrimental decisions, such as overindulging in unhealthy snacks. In contrast, focusing on commitment to a goal results in more consistent actions with its attainment.
A study published in Journal of Consumer Research found that people who watch movies together synchronize their emotional responses, leading to a shared experience. This social influence affects participants' evaluations, making them like the movie more when they're in sync with others.
Asking consumers to choose a favorite item from several options increases the likelihood of purchase, according to new research. This phenomenon, known as the 'preference' mindset, activates the consumer's decision-making process and encourages them to make a purchase.
David Sloan Wilson and Edward O. Wilson propose a new consensus and theoretical foundation for sociobiology, affirming Darwin's original conjecture that natural selection is a multilevel process. They show that adaptations can evolve at all levels of the biological hierarchy, from genes to ecosystems.
Researchers found that consumers are more likely to anthropomorphize products with features associated with human traits, such as loyalty or helpfulness. This study's findings suggest that marketers' efforts to create personable brands may shift the evaluation process from product to human characteristics.
A study found that consumers rely on post-purchase actions and advertising to gauge their past experiences, often misinterpreting these cues as accurate indicators of their true feelings.
A new study finds that large cascades of influence are driven by a critical mass of easily influenced individuals, rather than highly influential ones. The researchers created an influence network with opinion flows in many directions at once and introduced various factors to evaluate their effects.
A new study investigates how culturally engrained systems of ideas influence persistent goal striving for parenthood. The researchers identify three major discourses: scientific rationalism, self-management, and fatalism, which shape people's appraisals of means, planning, and persistence in achieving parenthood. These discourses help ...
Researchers found that thinking about larger resource accounts makes consumption seem cheaper, leading to increased spending. This 'accessible account effect' applies to food, time, and other everyday purchases.
Researchers found that influenza vaccine is less effective in rural children of Gabon compared to semi-urban counterparts due to co-infections and poor nutrition. This study highlights the need for tailored approaches to pandemic influenza prevention in developing countries.
The World Health Organization has launched a global patient safety challenge to combat healthcare-associated infection in developing countries. The initiative aims to improve hand hygiene practices and reduce morbidity and mortality due to healthcare-associated infection.
Researchers have discovered fossilized cashew nuts in Germany, dating back 47 million years, which suggest that the genus Anacardium was once distributed in Europe. This finding indicates that Europe may be an important biogeographic link between Africa and South America, challenging previous theories.
Researchers found that even aloof husbands have lower testosterone levels than unmarried men, challenging previous North American studies. Married men with multiple wives had even lower testosterone levels than monogamously married men.
Researchers found men become more focused on direct routes after clothes shopping, while women prefer scenic routes. Introverts also make low-arousal food choices when thinking about attending a party.
A study reveals consumers misjudge situations where longer duration isn't necessarily better, such as in exercise programs or lock-picking services. Consumers tend to believe a positive correlation between duration and quality, leading them to prefer longer sessions even when they're not more effective.
A new study found that when faced with two 'bad' choices, consumers tend to opt to get rid of what they already have. This is due to a stronger preference for possession loss aversion than valence loss aversion. The researchers discovered that this effect is more pronounced in situations where the options are risk-free or unattractive.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that negative opinions cause the greatest attitude shifts, both positive-to-negative and negative-to-worse. Consumers are more susceptible to influence when others have negative opinions, especially if they initially held positive attitudes.
A new study examines the correlation between race and police force size, finding that white fear of crime and economic threats account for most of the effect. Police forces tend to be larger in areas with more black residents, but this effect levels off as the black population increases.
The double issue of Critical Inquiry delves into the concept of 'the case,' analyzing its use in law, medicine, psychoanalysis, and popular culture. Key findings include the ways in which cases are constructed to frame instances or make arguments, as well as their role in shaping our understanding of norms and expertise.
A study on Bedouin villages in Lebanon found that first-cousin marriages increase infant mortality risk, but short birth intervals have a more significant impact. The research analyzed 1,399 children and found that infants born to first cousins have over double the odds of dying compared to non-first cousins.
Research from the University of Chicago Press Journals reveals that intense desires, like hunger, lead to a desire for more variety in choices. When hungry, participants preferred fewer familiar snacks over multiple new options.
Researchers found that vowel sounds associated with positive attributes make brand names more favorable among consumers. Front vowel sounds were preferred for fast or sharp objects, while back vowel sounds were preferred for large or dull objects.
Researchers found that disrupting consumers with confusing sales pitches can increase sales by restating in a familiar way, boosting student interest groups and tuition increases. The 'disrupt-then-reframe' technique exploits the need for cognitive closure, making susceptible consumers more likely to freeze their judgments.
A study by Haipeng Chen and Akshay R. Rao found that 59% of students miscalculated the discount when presented with a base price of $100 and a 20% plus 25% off deal, while those incentivized or presented with easier problems were less prone to errors.
A new study examining household preferences for school quality finds that college-educated households are willing to pay $58 more per month than those without a college degree to live in an area with 10% more college-educated neighbors. Additionally, blacks are willing to pay $98 more per month to live in a neighborhood with 10% more b...
Researchers from Oxford University and the University of Illinois found that contemporary consumers can read abstract images as statements of product attributes. The study's findings suggest a new unifying theory for understanding consumer response to images in global branding.
Researchers analyzed movie reviews by non-professionals and found a close association between expert opinion and consumer opinions. Ordinary consumers show 'good taste' in films considered excellent by experts.
Researchers found that consumers estimate sandwiches contain 35% fewer calories when from healthy restaurants, leading to increased consumption of high-calorie beverages and sides. Encouraging people to examine health claims eliminates the 'health halo' effect, highlighting the need for quantitative food assessment.
A study by Keith S. Coulter and Robin A. Coulter found that the numerical value of the farthest right digit influences consumer perception of sale prices, with smaller digits perceived as larger discounts.
A new study suggests that homosexual civil unions may have existed in France six centuries ago, challenging common assumptions about the history of same-sex relationships. The affrèrement, a medieval legal contract, provided a framework for non-nuclear households and shared characteristics with marriage contracts.
A recent study found that immigration can significantly lower the prices of food, clothing, furniture, and appliances. The study used data from Israel's immigrant population in the 1990s and found that an increase in immigrants led to a decrease in prices by an average of 0.5 percentage points.
A study by Craig J. Thompson and Gokcen Coskuner-Balli explores how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has thrived as a counterexample to the corporate co-optation of organic food movement, offering a viable market niche for small farmers and a means for consumers to engage in unconventional marketplace practices.
A new study by Suresh Ramanathan and Patti Williams examines the affective outcomes of indulgent consumption among both prudent and impulsive consumers. Both groups experience a mixture of positive and negative emotions immediately after consuming a food indulgence, but with different components and time courses.
New research shows that anticipating future choices can cause consumers to selectively focus on information suggesting alternative options, leading them to disregard their current choice's advantages. This phenomenon was replicated even when the chosen store was less expensive than others.
A new study using eye-tracking software found that consumers focus on ads based on their goals, such as memorization or learning about a brand. The researchers suggest that understanding these goals is crucial for effective advertising.
A new study challenges existing explanations for horror movie enthusiasts, suggesting they enjoy the thrill of fear. Researchers found that viewers experience both negative and positive emotions simultaneously, including happiness in frightening moments.
A new study demonstrates how visual arrangement of alternatives can increase the likelihood of a product being chosen. Grouping options with similar characteristics can emphasize dissimilar options and help them stand out.
Researchers found that individuals prefer divergence in product domains where others look for signals about their identity, such as hairstyles or favorite CDs. In contrast, less identity-relevant domains like dish soap elicit much weaker divergent preferences.
A new study by USC researchers found that when hopes are threatened, consumers turn to the marketplace for help, relying on favorable sources of information. This leads to 'motivated reasoning,' where consumers believe what they want to believe about products promising to help, even if the arguments aren't credible.
A study by Elias Dinopoulous and Laixun Zhao found that emigrating unskilled workers from poor countries increases child labor rates. Additionally, child-wage subsidies lower costs for employers, leading to more child labor, according to researchers.
The 'Focus: Science and Law' section in Isis explores the intersection of science and law, examining how courts shape scientific theories and practices. Scholars discuss topics such as intellectual property legislation, witness testimony verification, and the commercialization of research.
A new study challenges prior research on power couple migration patterns. Researchers found that college-educated singles are more likely to move to big cities where they meet and marry other educated individuals. This finding has implications for city planners seeking to attract a well-educated workforce. Power couples with only one c...
A study by Jorge Gonzales-Chapela found that a 1% increase in recreation goods prices leads to an extra 3.2 hours of work per year among full-time working men aged 25-54. This translates to a loss of one day's worth of leisure time per year.