Researchers find that regulatory focus influences consumer responses to brand comparisons. Promotion-focused individuals are more interested in brands advertised with maximal comparisons, while those focused on prevention prefer minimal comparisons. This study challenges the assumption that maximal comparisons are always more persuasiv...
A study using social comparison theory found that individuals are more likely to lie to those they know, particularly when their public image is threatened. This behavior is driven by a desire to protect one's self-image and self-worth, rather than purely strategic reasons.
The study refutes existing assumptions about inherent meaning in visuals, showing that creative directors and consumers share a similar understanding of white space. The researchers connect this to the minimalist movement and corporate art, highlighting the importance of socially agreed rules of language.
Researchers found that promotion-focused individuals prioritize their ability to follow through with healthy behaviors, while prevention-focused individuals prioritize the effectiveness of the behavior itself. This study has important implications for distributing information about healthy practices.
Research by Alexander Chernev found that consumers tend to opt for larger assortments when choosing where to shop, but this preference reverses when the focus is on minimizing decision complexity. Ultimately, offering too many options can lead to a decrease in overall probability of purchase.
A study published in Journal of Consumer Research found that shoppers' spending is more susceptible to outside influence when their shopping goals are abstract. As they navigate the store, their goals become more specific and their spending habits adapt accordingly.
Researchers used fMRI to study how consumers judge brands versus people, finding that similar brain processes are not used. The study highlights the importance of understanding the differences between brand personality and human-like qualities when building brand images.
A study by Huifang Mao and H. Shanker Krishnan found that brand fit and product fit are crucial in evaluating newly released products. Consumers tend to transfer attitudes from varying sources to a brand extension, making spontaneous associations more common.
The female European badger's ability to conceive during pregnancy is enabled by a reproductive strategy called embryonic diapause and superfetation. This unique trait allows females to mate with multiple males, benefiting them regardless of social system, according to Oxford biologists.
A new study compares handedness of medieval English villagers to modern-day sample, finding that active individuals display a high degree of asymmetry. Researchers used skeletal analysis to determine changes in hand preference over time, shedding light on the evolution of right- and left-handedness.
A new study examines the role of the 'showoff hypothesis' in social decisions among Hadza hunter-gatherers. Most participants chose to live with good hunters to gain access to more food and better nutrients, despite some men preferring poorer hunters to showcase their hunting prowess.
Professional football coaches exhibit conservative behavior when making decisions, prioritizing the risk of losing over potential gains. Despite this, research suggests that such behavior can have significant consequences, including decreased team performance.
Researchers found that moderately thin models have a positive impact on women's self-perception of thinness and self-esteem. In contrast, extremely thin or moderately heavy models can lead to negative thoughts about weight. The study sheds light on the effectiveness of campaigns featuring plus-sized models.
Researchers found that low self-monitors are more responsive to self-prediction, which involves predicting one's own behavior, whereas high self-monitors are more influenced by situational factors. This technique can be a simple tool to boost motivation and commitment to resolutions.
A new study by Aradhna Krishna found that when blindfolded, subjects perceived the shorter glass with a wider surface area as having a larger volume. The study also revealed that visual distractions can influence consumer perceptions and behavior.
A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that emotions like guilt and regret play a critical role in motivating people to make wise decisions about self-protection. The research finds that appeals combining fear and accountability are more effective than those relying on hope or good intentions.
A study by University of Iowa authors found that consumers have a bias for the whole, preferring larger bills due to processing fluency. This affects their willingness to use smaller bills, as they associate value with larger bills.
A new study reveals that ads comparing two brands are effective when people use analytical processing, but not as effective when they use imagery processing. The authors found that comparative ads provide explicit comparisons among brands and encourage consumers to compare product characteristics across brands.
Researchers found consistent differences between Singaporeans and Americans regarding brand associations, with implications for consumer behavior across diverse cultures. The study highlights the need for more research on the impact of self-view on brand evaluation.
A new study has found that people's eating habits are influenced by their previous meals, with breakfast having the strongest effect. The study suggests that instead of setting daily nutritional goals, focusing on multi-day goals can help individuals approach dinner with a different set of habits and improve overall clarity.
Researchers found that consumers can be influenced to favor a market leader by altering the order of information. By focusing on whole brands rather than individual features, subjects became more objective and less swayed by early positive information.
Researchers found that different types of negative emotions trigger distinct preferences in decision-making. Anxiety prefers safer options with control, while sadness favors more rewarding and comforting choices. Even when the cause of negative emotions is known, decisions related to that cause can still be affected by the emotions.
Indeterminacy, or the unplanned part of a show, makes live television more appealing. Researchers found that this characteristic alters people's experienced utility in various consumption domains like TV, performing arts, vacations, and gaming.
A study by Andrew D. Gershoff and Gita Johar found that people overestimate their closest friends' knowledge of their tastes and preferences, leading to less accurate recommendations. The researchers suggest that this overestimation is driven by a desire to maintain self-image and protect relationships.
A study found that people tend to choose more varied snacks for their partners than for themselves, even when justifying choices. The authors attribute this tendency to a desire for conformity and a focus on consumptions rather than activities, but a 'de-focusing' task reduced variety in snack selection.
Researchers found that consumers are more likely to join and stay loyal to programs if they feel like they're making consistent progress. The study also shows that the motivation behind this effect is crucial, with fake or specious reasons often being sufficient.
A new study challenges prior models of behavioral and cognitive differences between Neanderthals and modern humans. Researchers suggest that the establishment of larger social networks allowed for more extensive division of labor and routine use of distant resources, potentially driving the replacement of Neanderthals in the Caucasus.
Research suggests that full-day kindergarten provides better cognitive learning outcomes for all children, including disadvantaged ones, due to its broadened social and academic experiences. Successful teachers utilize the extra time to enhance students' skills in both subjects.
The elasticity of demand is key to understanding the effects of punishment on suppliers, who pass costs to consumers, leading to lower consumption when demand is elastic. In contrast, excise taxes and persuasive techniques are more effective in reducing illegal drug spending.
A new study by Matthew Gentzkow and Jesse M. Shapiro finds that media bias arises from a desire to maximize reputation, rather than personal beliefs or values. The authors argue that supporting the growth of independent media in competitive markets can counteract this bias.
Researchers Bocquet-Appel and Naji found a sudden 20-30% increase in birth rates worldwide during the Neolithic period, as indicated by an abrupt change in skeletal evidence. This finding corroborates a global demographic transition, with archaeological evidence showing parallels between Europe, North Africa, and the Americas.
A new study by Michael Gurven examines food exchanges in small-scale societies to understand the evolution of conditional cooperation among humans. The research finds that people share more with those who give more, but families struggling to produce food receive more support from close kin and neighbors.
A new study reveals that reliable resources like salmon, high population densities, and the defense of territories were crucial for the development of marked inequality in North America. Conversely, Australian Aboriginal societies on the tropical northern coast exhibited 'transient inequality' due to polygyny and high resource availabi...
Research suggests that elephants may be 'tipsy' due to marula tree bark containing a beetle pupae, not ethanol from the fruit. A high diet of marula fruit is unlikely to cause intoxication in three-ton elephants.
A new study examines the evolution of human life history, proposing a distinct phase known as 'late life,' where age-related deterioration ceases. This research suggests that late life may be characterized by a plateau in mortality rates after a certain age.
Researchers examine how laughter evolved over 7 million years, from promoting community play in apes to humans using it for social control and ridicule
Researchers found that pursuing a goal can liberate people to pursue another, incompatible goal. Making plans for a goal also leads to the immediate satisfaction of conflicting desires. The study aims to address the behavior of individuals holding multiple goals.
Researchers found that when consumers identified a celebrity from their voice, there was no tie between the consumer's feeling for the celebrity and the brand. However, this changed when a consumer could not identify the celebrity, resulting in a definite effect on brand attitude.
Researchers from Yale University found that consumers tend to take risks with subsequent decisions when things are going well. Conversely, they opt for reliable options when the evening is off to a bad start. The study suggests that this pattern of choices applies to various goals including enjoyment and health.
A study by Lalwani and Monroe found that frequently fluctuating prices cause consumers to perceive a product's average price as lower than when the price is reduced by a larger amount but less often. This suggests that frequent discounts may be more effective in driving sales.
A study by L.J. Shrum and colleagues found that individuals who watch more TV are more likely to adopt materialistic values, suggesting a 'cultivation effect' of television on American culture. The authors argue that TV influences viewers to incorporate affluent values into their personal structures.
A study by Dhananjay Nayakankuppam and Himanshu Mishra found that buyers underrate items while sellers overrepresent their positive features, leading to different reservation prices. This difference in valuation affects marketing strategies, such as allowing car buyers to test drive cars at home.
Research by Patti Williams and Aimee Drolet found that older adults generally favor emotional appeals, while younger adults prefer more rational messages. This understanding is crucial for marketers seeking to create products and services relevant to the growing older population of consumers.
A new study explores the role of relationships between people and products, finding that communal relationships lead to faster recognition of broad features, while exchange relationships facilitate more accurate recognition of detailed features. The research highlights the importance of highlighting expected features in a relationship ...
Researchers Catherine W. M. Yeung and Dilip Soman found that extending the range of background set attributes shifts preferences towards higher evaluability options. Widening encountered options also increases the selection of cheaper alternatives compared to more expensive options.
A new study found that asking consumers to imagine their future experience with a product may decrease purchasing likelihood, especially for those with low imagery abilities. The use of imagery appeals can be detrimental to marketers' bottom lines in certain cases.
Researchers Anick Bosmans and Hans Baumgartner found that consumers rely on specific extraneous emotions when evaluating products. They discovered two types of emotions: achievement (cheerfulness/dejection) and protection (quiescence/agitation), which influence product evaluations differently.
Researchers analyze structural constraints in codeswitched advertising to determine what makes a message linguistically correct. The study highlights the significance of grammatical accuracy and provides insights into the rules that govern mixed language marketing.
A study by Jennifer Edson Escalas and James R. Bettman found that consumers use brands to communicate their social self, with more symbolic brands having a greater impact. Independent consumers tend to reject out-group associations, while interdependent consumers build brand connections that align with their in-groups.
A focus on process can minimize decision difficulty for high-stakes choices like financial investments and healthcare. By honing in on a succinct decision process, individuals can make decisions more efficiently, especially when faced with aversive options.