A new study found that effective weight loss pills encourage risky behaviors like junk food and sedentary lifestyles. Marketing campaigns emphasizing supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle reduce these risks.
A new study examines how consumers in different cultural backgrounds categorize products. Researchers found that individuals from collectivist societies pay more attention to context when making decisions, while those from individualistic societies focus solely on product features.
Research reveals that online research largely replaces in-dealership price negotiations and test drives. Online information sources have become the most widely used, substituting traditional sources such as Consumer Reports. This shift implies a better-informed buyer who is ready to negotiate.
A study by Prashant Malaviya reveals that ad repetition can improve product evaluation through item-specific and relational elaboration. However, expertise-related consumers may perform relational elaboration without repetition, making it less effective for industry-specific trade publications.
A study by Klaus Wertenbroch and colleagues found that people spend less in real terms when using foreign currencies with lower face values, and more when using higher face values. This occurs because consumers evaluate transactions based on nominal differences rather than real purchasing power.
A new study from the Journal of Consumer Research found that people tend to feel ambivalent even when all the evidence is positive due to anticipating conflict. The researchers discovered that the more information consumers are given, the less likely they are to suspect conflicting information.
Researchers identify two distinct cognitive processes underlying consumer behavior: promotion-focused and prevention-focused individuals. Promotion-focused consumers seek time-saving products and perceive a safe environment, while prevention-focused consumers focus on negative outcomes and respond better to unambiguous advertising.
Research finds that habits of use create a substantial advantage for an incumbent, but only when achieving a specific goal, limiting the impact on consumer choice.
Researchers found that E. coli groups exposed to fluctuating pH levels exhibited generalist fitness patterns, with no significant cost in any environment. The bacteria adapted to specific environments, but the varied pH conditions didn't hinder adaptation.
Researchers analyze ancient multiple graves, suggesting that Upper Paleolithic groups in Europe may have practiced ritual human sacrifice. The findings provide insight into the complexity and symbolism of these societies.
A newly excavated headless skeleton from Nasca, Peru provides important new data on ancient decapitation practices. The analysis suggests that decapitation was part of powerful rituals aimed at ensuring fertility and the continuation of life and rebirth of the community.
Researchers found no evidence of drug-resistant bacteria Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex on the skin of uninjured US soldiers in Iraq. The study suggests that nosocomial transmission is the likely cause of infections, refuting prior assumptions about the source of the outbreak.
A recent study explores how consumers' self-assessment of skill level influences their purchasing decisions for professional-grade golf clubs. Participants who had attempted a shorter putt perceived themselves as better golfers and chose higher-end equipment.
A study found that prevention-focused consumers favor safety and loss-avoidance in ads, while promotion-focused consumers prefer achievement and gain-seeking. This differential response affects which brand is evaluated first and the overall rating of both brands.
A new study found that questioning people about their vice behaviors increases the incidence of these behaviors. Researchers asked participants how often they expected to give in to temptations and found that this increased the actual number of times they gave in.
A study by Tuba Üstüner and Douglas B. Holt explores the consumer identity projects of poor migrant women in Turkish squatter communities. The researchers found two distinct reactions to Western consumer culture: some created a nostalgic environment, while others transformed themselves through shopping and social outings.
A new study by Xiang Fang, Surendra Singh, and Rohini Ahluwalia reveals that repeated exposure to web-based banner ads can create a favorable attitude toward the ad despite minimal conscious attention. The researchers found that even if participants couldn
Researchers provide a guide for geologists to account for various factors, including erosion types and surface conditions, when examining dinosaur tracks. They describe different levels of preservation, such as true tracks and undertracks, which reveal the squishing and displacement of sand when dinosaurs took steps.
A team of researchers has found conclusive evidence of tsunamis in the Bristol Channel, which they attribute to a catastrophic wave erosion event that occurred on January 30, 1607. The study uses established catalogues of geomorphic features to demonstrate the impact of tsunamis on coastal landscapes.
A new study found that hibernating black bears lose about half as much skeletal muscle strength as humans confined to bed rest for similar periods. The researchers tested the bears' muscle strength and fatigue resistance after a 110-day period of anorexia and confinement.
A new gene mutation has been identified as the cause of X-linked mental retardation, a severe condition affecting male offspring. The researchers discovered the ZDHHC9 gene, which is mutated and loses its function, leading to the condition.
A new study challenges the World Health Organization's idea that schizophrenia is relatively more benign in developing societies. The research compares biological and cultural indicators of schizophrenia in urban, Western societies with data from Palau, which has one of the highest rates of schizophrenia diagnosis in the world.
A new study suggests that shopping lists promote impulsive decisions, as recalling available options consumes mental energy. Consumers tend to opt for lower-priced items when memory-based decisions are involved, whereas higher-priced goods with perceived quality are chosen when options are in sight.
Research suggests that superfluous choices at early stages of purchase can lead to increased customer satisfaction, as consumers perceive greater deliberation and fluency in decision-making. This results in higher repeat business rates and brand loyalty.
A new study from the University of Chicago Press Journals reveals that we tend to pay more attention to disappointment than to positive experiences. The researchers found that when consumers feel better than expected, they take it for granted and don't evaluate their experience as well.
A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that individuals who exercise self-control by dieting or resisting thoughts are more prone to making impulse purchases. This is because their self-regulatory resources can be depleted, leading to increased spending on tempting items.
A recent study from Journal of Consumer Research found that people who bought unexpected items felt happy and a little guilty, while those who resisted the impulse purchase felt proud. Marketers can use this knowledge to create more effective advertising strategies by understanding consumers' emotions after recent purchases.
A philosopher argues that intelligent design lacks testability due to the inability of observations to discriminate between ID claims and competing theories. He also points out that criticism of evolution is not a sufficient test for ID, and auxiliary assumptions about the designer's goals are not independently justified.
A group setting exposes individuals to brand information, making them forget competitors and their own preferences. The study found a stronger effect on familiar brands, where the exposure to other group members' mentions amplifies the disruption.
A recent study by Alexander Chernev reveals that consumers perceive specialized products to be superior on a single attribute, even when the description is the same. This 'zero-sum heuristic' suggests that advantages in one area are compensated by disadvantages in another.
A new study by Aparna A. Labroo and Suresh Ramanathan challenges the common assumption that happy endings in advertising are always better. Emotionally involved viewers actually prefer narratives with a negative-to-positive arc, as it allows them to cope with subsequent negativity.
A new paper from the Journal of Consumer Research distinguishes between narrative and analytical self-referencing in ads. Narrative self-reference almost always leads to favorable evaluations, while analytical self-reference can lead to negative responses if the ad's message is not well-reasoned.
Researchers found that consumers who didn't understand the joke often preferred clever slogans with multiple meanings. A new scale measures how quickly people grasp additional meanings, showing that degree of understanding has little impact on response.
A new study found that consumers trust recommendations from individuals with shared likes more than those with shared dislikes, attributed to attribute ambiguity. The researchers discovered a positivity effect in agent evaluation, where positive attributes outweigh negative ones.
A recent study by JoAndrea Hoegg and Joseph W. Alba found that the color of a drink can significantly affect how it tastes, with tint dominating taste perception over other attributes.
Researchers discovered that people with ambivalent opinions are more susceptible to persuasion from untrustworthy sources. In contrast, individuals with strong views tend to evaluate the credibility of messages before making a decision. The study's findings highlight the influence of others on consumer attitudes.
First- or second-generation immigrants make up a disproportionate high percentage of Black student population at U.S. universities, with selectivity increasing proportionally. Despite this, Black immigrant students perform similarly to native counterparts in academic performance.
A new study in Current Anthropology examines the effect of genetically modified crops on farmers in Warangal District, India. The research reveals a pattern of 'agricultural deskilling' and reliance on social learning, exacerbated by the spread of Bt cotton seeds.
A study published in The American Journal of Human Genetics identifies the chitinase 3-like 1 gene as a potential risk factor for schizophrenia. Genetic variations in this gene were found to be associated with schizophrenia, suggesting that genes involved in biological response to adverse conditions may play a role in predisposition.
The study found that naked carp respond to increased lake salinity by taking a 'metabolic holiday', drastically reducing oxygen consumption and kidney function. They also adjust their feeding behavior and store more fat, but if the lake continues to dehydrate, these benefits may change to pathology.
A study by Matthias Doepke and Martin Schneider found that even mild inflation can lead to substantial redistribution of nominal assets, with younger, middle-class households benefiting the most. Rich retirees are expected to lose nearly 60% of their household-sector losses due to inflation.
A new study reveals that grouped skunks do not enter a torpor-like state to conserve energy like solitary individuals do. Instead, they benefit from huddling, which minimizes water loss and allows them to maintain higher body fat reserves.
A groundbreaking study by Lisa J. Abendroth and Kristen Diehl found that consumers in limited purchasing situations initially regret non-purchases more than purchases. Over time, purchased items were regretted more if seldom used or of poor quality.
A new study by Ann E. Schlosser found that virtual experiences improved people's memories of a camera's functions, but also increased false positives and created vivid internally-generated recollections.
A new study by Yanhong Zhang reveals that almost 45 million students in sub-Saharan Africa were not enrolled in school in 2001, with rural students facing significant learning disadvantages. The study finds that family socio-economic status and school quality play a crucial role in the learning gaps between urban and rural students.
Researchers found that personal relationships influence sellers' pricing strategies, even when unrelated to the transaction. This study has implications for marketing managers and consumers, suggesting that negotiating tactics can impact prices.
A new study finds that negative feelings towards a country do not necessarily lead to product evaluations based on country of origin. Angry consumers may try to punish a country by avoiding its products, while saddened consumers believe the event is beyond human control and do not affect their purchasing.
A study by Davy Lerouge and Luk Warlop found that familiarity with someone makes predicting their tastes more difficult due to overconfidence and ignoring contradictory cues. This leads people to pay less attention to product-specific attitude feedback, resulting in unwanted gift purchases.
A recent study suggests that the emergence of diversified social roles for men, women, and children in Homo sapiens provided a competitive advantage over Neanderthals. This division of economic labor enabled modern humans to thrive in ecologically diverse tropical and sub-tropical regions.
A new study finds that Black and Latino males struggle in math classes despite positive feedback, due to a tendency to ignore institutional cues. Meanwhile, female students of the same racial groups are more resilient and less affected by low grades.