A new study found that making a general commitment to be environmentally friendly or a specific commitment to reuse towels leads to more sustainable behavior. Symbolic gestures, such as receiving a 'Friend of the Earth' lapel pin, significantly increase eco-friendly actions.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that consumers pay more when given different options for short-term goals, but pay less when pursuing long-term goals. By strategically choosing between similar options, consumers can maintain motivation and achieve their objectives.
Researchers propose that certain dietary fats encourage the growth of harmful bacteria, leading to low-level inflammation and chronic disease. Unsaturated fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, have strong antimicrobial properties, weakening bacterial cell membranes.
Design blogs like Apartment Therapy help consumers exercise taste by creating routines that maintain physical order and associated meanings. Consumers learn what constitutes 'good taste' through engagement with brands and media, transforming their consciousness and guiding effortless action.
A new study found that donors show stronger judgments and increased concern for group members when they are part of a cohesive unit, leading to greater donations. In contrast, individuals from groups with negative traits receive less support.
A new study finds that ownership enhances product attractiveness by creating an association between the item and consumer identity. Gender differences are also noted, with men prioritizing social group distinctions and women focusing on connections.
A new study suggests that slowing down consumption of enjoyable products can lead to greater enjoyment and a longer experience. By pacing oneself, consumers can avoid satiation and savor the pleasure of their favorite items. This finding challenges common behaviors that prioritize immediate gratification over long-term satisfaction.
Researchers found that confident consumers pay more attention to high-level product features and abstract benefits, while less confident consumers focus on concrete details. This shift in attention is attributed to psychological confidence affecting consumers' perception of information relevance.
A new study in Journal of Consumer Research finds that long-distance runners leverage social and economic resources to overcome differences, fostering collective belonging. The research highlights the potential for diverse communities to thrive through resource dependence, benefiting companies and charities alike.
A study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology found that MRSA cases in academic medical centers in the US more than doubled between 2003 and 2008. The researchers estimated hospitalizations increased from 21 out of every 1,000 patients to 42 out of every 1,000, or nearly 1 in 20 inpatients.
Researchers analyzed fossil feces from an Arizona cave and found a diet rich in fiber, low in fat, and high in plant-based foods with low glycemic indices. This diet may have been enough to fix thrifty genes in place, making modern populations susceptible to disease.
Research found that wild boars with more reddish hair have higher levels of oxidative stress due to the consumption of glutathione by pheomelanin production. However, surprisingly, gray-haired boars showed signs of good condition and lower oxidative damage. This study suggests that different levels of melanin may have physiological con...
A study by University of Chicago Press Journals found that consumers often focus on the central option when choosing products, despite not being aware of this bias. This can lead to suboptimal decisions, particularly for low-involvement choices such as frequent purchases.
A new study warns that online self-diagnosis can lead to overestimation of disease likelihood due to symptom-focused searches. This bias may result in consumers taking unnecessary medical actions, causing harm to themselves and society.
A study by Fleura Bardhi and Giana M. Eckhardt found that consumers accessing products through car-sharing services like Zipcar exhibit less psychological ownership and attachment. Users prefer a strict governance style, trusting the service provider to enforce rules rather than engaging with each other or the brand.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that consumers perceive longer time periods when facing greater spatial distances, influencing impatience and decision-making choices.
A new study reveals that consumers frequently face situations where competing goals struggle for dominance, causing conflicts and changing preferences. This phenomenon, known as goal reversion, occurs when ignored goals resurface stronger than initially thought.
A new study by Rajesh Bagchi and Amar Cheema found that a red background color induces aggression in online auctions, leading to higher bids. Conversely, a blue background reduces willingness to pay when negotiating directly with a seller.
A new study found that consumers focus on unique features when evaluating services based on faith due to greater uncertainty. This increased uncertainty undermines consumer confidence and leads to a greater emphasis on standard attributes.
A study published in the Journal of Human Capital found that most women primary-care doctors would have made more money becoming physician assistants after factoring in training costs. Most women doctors do not work enough hours to amortize their expensive training, leading to a lower net present value compared to PAs.
A recent study by Greg Kaplan found that young adults who move back home with their parents after a job loss can benefit from it. Living at home allows individuals to be choosier when looking for a new job, enabling them to wait for higher-paying opportunities and avoiding lower-earning jobs. This can result in lower long-term earnings...
A recent study published in the Journal of Political Economy found that human capital endowments passed from father to son play a crucial role in determining a son's success. The researchers used detailed government data on Swedish fathers and sons to isolate differences in income due to factors other than human capital.
Researchers found that high trust in feelings amplifies emotionally driven responses, even when faced with compelling information favoring the opposite choice. The study suggests that relying on feelings as information can lead to irrational decisions.
A recent study found that consumers who identify closely with a particular group tend to heighten their preference for products linked to the threatened identity. This response is driven by a need to activate and reinforce their sense of belonging.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that consumers underestimate how often they make 'exceptional' purchases, leading to overspending. The authors suggest that understanding these differences can help consumers make wiser budgeting decisions.
A new study reveals that consumers shop proactively to protect themselves against potential challenges, yet reactively after experiencing stress. They tend to choose products specifically associated with bolstering or guarding the self under threat.
A new study found that consumers' preference for larger selections decreases when making choices involving the distant future. Consumers tend to focus on end goals and less about how to get there, leading them to prefer smaller and simpler assortment of options.
Consumers exhibit higher creativity and are more likely to buy new products with moderate background noise. This optimal level of noise induces distraction, encouraging abstract thinking and creative solutions.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that consumers with little product knowledge prioritize easy-to-compare standard features. Companies should adapt their strategies to cater to both expert and novice consumers, focusing on unique attributes for experts and improving existing features for novices.
Research suggests that high anxiety can make male California mice poor fathers, while stress hormone vasopressin may influence paternal behavior. The study found that anxious males were less likely to approach a pup and had higher levels of vasopressin in their brains.
A study by Elif Izberk-Bilgin explores how Muslim consumers in Turkey perceive global brands as 'infidels' due to sociopolitical dynamics. Consumers engage in boycotts to moralize the market and promote products reflecting their values, such as gender-segregated resorts.
A new study found that specific planning is less effective for achieving multiple goals due to increased obstacles and constraints. However, people who thought others had more goals than they did were more likely to benefit from planning and see their own goals as manageable.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that minor language variations can affect consumers' attitudes towards brands. Consumers tend to feel closer to their bank than insurance company, and using 'we' versus 'you and [the brand]' can impact their perceptions.
Researchers found that consumers choose brands to identify with their in-group but differentiate by selecting unique features, such as colors or styles. This balance between assimilation and differentiation is key to understanding consumer behavior.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that men are generally more reluctant to try vegetarian products due to a metaphoric link between meat and masculinity. The authors discovered that people rated meat as more masculine than vegetables, and that male meat eaters were viewed as more masculine.
Researchers found that people who feel good about themselves are more likely to choose functional products over attractive ones. However, choosing highly aesthetic products can make people more open-minded and less prone to 'throwing good money after bad'.
Researchers found that participants rated celebrity-morphed images as more trustworthy than control faces, suggesting a subconscious effect of familiarity. The study suggests that automatic perceptions of familiarity may have greater influence on consumer behavior than physical attractiveness.
Traditional forms of polygamy are inherently unequal due to a central spouse dividing rights and obligations among multiple spouses. Modifications like polyfidelity and molecular marriage could eliminate these inequalities by promoting equal sharing of rights, responsibilities, and benefits among all spouses.
Researchers in The Journal of Geology found that plain ocean waves, aided by strong storms, can move giant boulders inland. By comparing old maps to modern photos, the team showed that sections of the ridges have moved significantly since 1839.
A study of monitor lizards found that midsize lizards are the fastest, suggesting that larger size can create biomechanical constraints. The researchers discovered that above a certain size, lizards change their running style, making them slower.
The inaugural issue of American Political Thought explores the concept of American exceptionalism, with scholars arguing over its origins, applications, and implications for U.S. foreign policy. The articles challenge common assumptions about the term's meaning and its role in shaping American identity.
A study found that stressed lizard mothers gave birth to smaller, but healthier, offspring with larger fat reserves, which may enhance their survival in a post-natal stressful world. Stressed mothers themselves were also more physically fit after giving birth, prioritizing self-preservation.
A shift in attention can make all the difference in reaching goals, according to a new study. Consumers often start towards a goal but struggle to finish it. Focusing on small areas of progress instead of large ones increases motivation and adherence to goals.
Researchers found that consumers who feel financially deprived prefer scarce products over abundant ones. Financial deprivation prompts heightened visual sensitivity to scarce goods, influencing purchasing decisions.
A new study found that people tend to perceive bundles with both highly and mildly favorable components as less valuable than individual items. This 'presenter's paradox' affects product domains such as music and hotel advertisements, leading consumers to overvalue the bundle only when it has a high value component
A new study challenges traditional views on possessions and consumer identity among global nomads. These individuals form situational attachments to objects, valuing them primarily for instrumental use-value and immaterial possessions.
A study by Michel Tuan Pham, Leonard Lee, and Andrew T. Stephen found that individuals who trusted their feelings were better able to predict future events than those with less trust. The 'emotional oracle effect' was proven across various predictions, including weather, stock market movements, and movie success.
A new study found that consumers rejected by others are more likely to volunteer or donate to a worthy cause, while those ignored tend to engage in conspicuous consumption. The researchers propose that this is because people who feel rejected attempt to reconnect with society through prosocial behavior.
A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that people who believe the world is a just place trust salespeople more after making a purchase. The authors examined how consumers balance trust and protecting themselves from bad decisions, finding that optimism plays a crucial role in this process.
A new study proposes that purchasing extraction rights for dirty fossil fuels in non-participating countries is a more effective way to combat climate change. By conserving these deposits, coalitions can reduce emissions and mitigate carbon leakage, allowing them to implement their ideal policy without fear of non-participating countri...