http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/consumer_behavior/ Consumer Behavior. Read the latest research on what motivates people to buy, how brand names affect the brain, mindless autopilot through decision-making and more. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 19:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 19:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/consumer_behavior/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512113505.htm Public investment in early childhood programs may be able to lower public costs for social services by improving children's long-term welfare. Such work is helping to promote a reorientation of child and human services toward investment and prevention, moving away from the current system that seeks to "treat" problems. Research from the fields of neuroscience, developmental psychology and program evaluation has shown how early experiences help determine how a person's brain develops and that effective early intervention strategies can improve a wide range of outcomes from childhood through early adulthood. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512113505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512091947.htm From soaps to body lotions to shampoos, consumers are increasingly drawn to personal care products that are labeled "green" or environmentally-friendly, a fast-growing market that chalks-up an estimated $4 billion in sales per year worldwide. Despite the hype over these products, there's growing confusion by consumers and manufacturers alike over what it really means to be labeled as "green," according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512091947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083952.htm In a study published in the May 7 issue of the journal PLoS ONE, Anthony Little of the University of Stirling and colleagues show that measurements of symmetry and sexual dimorphism from faces are related in humans, both in Europeans and African hunter-gatherers, and in a non-human primate. In all samples, symmetric males had more masculine facial proportions and symmetric females had more feminine facial proportions. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506163918.htm Gambling activity is widespread among US adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a new study. Results of the first national survey of its kind show problem gambling -- described as gambling with three or more negative consequences (for example, gambling more than you intended or stealing money to gamble) in the past year -- occurring at a rate of 2.1 percent among youth 14 to 21. That percentage projects to approximately 750,000 young problem gamblers nationwide. Wed, 07 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506163918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502102606.htm Directly influenced by pro-tobacco advertising and marketing campaigns, urban sixth-graders in India are using tobacco products in disproportionate numbers, according to a new study. The new information reveals a country setting itself on a dangerous path to tobacco-related illnesses and death in the next two decades. Mon, 05 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502102606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502104547.htm There have been recent claims that dairy products can help people lose weight, and the dairy industry has hyped the assertion by investing millions of dollars in commercial advertising. However, a new review of the evidence reveals that neither dairy nor calcium intake promotes weight loss. Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502104547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429095042.htm Investors get carried away with excitement and wishful 'fantasies' as the stock market soars, suppressing negative emotions warning them of high risks, according to a new study led by UCL. Economic models fail to factor in the emotions and unconscious mental life that drive human behavior says the study, which argues that banks and financial institutions should be as wary of 'emotional inflation' as they are fiscal inflation. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429095042.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423125954.htm Researchers have mapped the brain regions that process social standing and money rewards, yielding new insights that they said will aid understanding of the basis of social behaviors. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423125954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111649.htm When distracted, those who were initially neutral towards both brands strongly tended to choose the brand that had been paired with positive images or words in the earlier task. Importantly, this happened even when the participant couldn't remember which brand had been paired with positive information, reports a new study. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111640.htm Thought-listing exercises are frequently used by researchers to gauge people's reactions to advertisements. But new research suggests two alternative methods that may more accurately reveal what consumers actually notice. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111630.htm Looking on the bright side can lead to irresponsible financial behavior, reveals a new article. In a series of studies, scientists examine repeat gambling in the face of loss. They find that people often engage in too much positive thinking, selectively focusing on one win among hundreds of losses when they think back on the overall experience. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422115014.htm From the war room to the board room, negotiations are a part of everyday life. Successful negotiations demand a clear understanding of one's opponent. But what approach should one take to achieve such an understanding of one's opponent in everyday negotiations? Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422115014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080419021157.htm Good things come in small packages -- like the Nabisco 100 Calorie Pack. But do these portion-controlled offerings help dieters lose weight? Yes, according to new research. Dividing food into smaller portions creates a "partitioning effect;" a phenomenon where segmenting a resource, such as food or money, can dramatically affect consumption. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080419021157.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416140918.htm The psychologists wanted to know if there is something inherently rewarding about being treated decently. So, they scanned several parts of the participants' brains while they were in the act of weighing both fair and miserly offers. Consistent with previous results, the researchers found that a region previously associated with negative emotions such as moral disgust (the anterior insula) was activated during unfair treatment. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416140918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152245.htm If you think your parents let your younger siblings get away with everything, you're probably right. A new study concludes that parents punish older children more harshly -- and they're wise to do so. A new mathematical model supports unequal treatment of children because more severe discipline of older children deters younger siblings from engaging in the activities for which they know their older siblings were penalized. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414155238.htm Each day, we are bombarded with options -- at the local coffee shop, at work, in stores or on the TV at home. Do you want a double-shot soy latte, a caramel macchiato or simply a tall house coffee for your morning pick-me-up? Having choices is typically thought of as a good thing. Maybe not, say researchers who found we are more fatigued and less productive when faced with a plethora of choices. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414155238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414174855.htm When city traders have high morning testosterone levels they make more than average profits for the rest of that day, researchers have discovered. The scientists hypothesize that this may be because testosterone has been found to increase confidence and appetite for risk -- qualities that would augment the performance of any trader who had a positive expected return. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414174855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403141118.htm No mechanism currently exists to ensure that genetic tests are supported by adequate evidence before they go to market, or that marketing claims are truthful and not misleading, according to a policy analysis in Science. Misleading claims about genetic tests may lead health care providers and patients to make inappropriate decisions about which tests to take and how to use genetic tests that have potential for profound medical consequences, the authors argue. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403141118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408160627.htm Innovators trying to establish new markets would be wise to try to attract attention by publicizing not only themselves, but also the competition, according to a new study. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408160627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407074554.htm Small changes in schools lead to big results when it comes to preventing childhood obesity, according to a new study. The school-based intervention, which reduced the incidence of overweight by 50 percent, offers a potential means of preventing childhood weight gain and obesity on a large scale. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407074554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403104433.htm Attractive women plus cool cars equal brisk sales for auto dealers as men snap up those cars, prompted -- or so advertising theory goes -- by the association. But is the human male really so easily swayed? Can the irrelevant image of an alluring female posing by the merchandise actually encourage a heterosexual man to purchase it? Possibly, according to a new study. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403104433.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403104350.htm Anxiety gets a lot of bad press. Dwelling on the negative can lead to chronic stress and anxiety disorders and phobias, but evolutionarily speaking, anxiety holds some functional value. In humans, learning to avoid harm is necessary not only for surviving in the face of basic threats (such as predators or rotten food), but also for avoiding more complex social or economic threats (such as enemies or questionable investments). Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403104350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402194355.htm Mental health problems in childhood blight adult working life, suggests new research. And problems in working life are associated with mid-life depression and anxiety. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402194355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403183053.htm Self-reported alcohol-impaired (AI) driving has increased in the United States during the last decade. New findings show that most AI driving is due to binge drinkers rather than heavy or alcohol-dependent drinkers. Researchers say effective strategies must address both excessive drinking as well as impaired driving. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403183053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404094502.htm Emerging computer technologies will change our lives for the better by 2020. But we need to retain control to ensure that these developments do not impact negatively on basic human values, according to a new report. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404094502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331122531.htm Smart business leaders understand that confidence affects decision-making and ultimately a company's earnings. But giving employees positive feedback in the hopes of promoting better decisions sometimes can backfire, suggests new research. Positive feedback actually can escalate perceived threats to the ego and increase the need to prove that a questionable decision was the right one. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331122531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328085918.htm Whether you are a Mac person or a PC person, even the briefest exposure to the Apple logo may make you behave more creatively, according to recent research. Researchers found that even the briefest exposure to well-known brands can cause people to behave in ways that mirror those brands' traits. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328085918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326190802.htm Gambling addicts don't learn from their mistakes, according to a new study. The problem could be explained by a kind of mental rigidity that leads to harmful compulsive behavior in sufferers. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326190802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324201319.htm While the "digital divide" may be narrowing in terms of access to the Internet, a significant "digital skills divide" is emerging. Researchers found the higher the socio-economic status, the greater the time spent on the Web and the more sophisticated the search and evaluation skills. Google was the favored search engine by parents in the high socio-economic group. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324201319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321125835.htm Is it luck of the draw in poker? The answer is 'no', according to new findings from two psychology studies. In the first study, DeDonno had 41 college students play eight games, totaling 200 hands, of Turbo Texas Hold'em, a computerized simulation of 10-player Hold'em poker. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321125835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324130159.htm Researchers provide a challenge to the classic economic model of information manipulation, in which knowing more than anybody else is the key to influence. Instead, economists present a situation -- commonly observed in real life -- in which all parties have access to the same information, but one party still manages to control public opinion. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324130159.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083313.htm Antisocial behavior was previously thought to be unchangeable in the teenage years. New findings suggest that social decision making and behavior reciprocally influence each other throughout adolescence. The study of 522 boys and girls in 7th through 12th grades utilized parent questionnaires and self-report measures to examine teenagers' judgments and behavior. The relation between decision-making and aggressive behavior supports the need for interventions that change thinking in antisocial adolescents to prevent aggressive responses in behavior. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320150034.htm Researchers have found that it's possible to buy happiness after all: when you spend money on others. Employees were given a small amount of money and instructed to either spend it on themselves or others. What affected the employees' happiness was not so much the size of the bonus but how they spent it. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320150034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095622.htm Economists usually treat time like money -- as another scarce resource that people spend to achieve certain ends. Money is used to pay for things like furniture and plane tickets; time is spent assembling the do-it-yourself bookshelf or searching for cheap flights on the Internet. But despite the old adage, the two are far from psychologically equivalent -- particularly when it comes to consumer spending decisions. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095622.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095610.htm Does coffee in a flimsy cup taste worse than coffee in a more substantial cup? Firms such as McDonalds and Starbucks spend millions of dollars every year on disposable packaging, but a new study suggests that trying to skimp in this area might not be worth it -- and may negatively impact consumers' perceptions of taste and quality. The effect is most pronounced for those who do not usually like to touch things while shopping. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313185713.htm You may want to buy healthy food for your family, but if the good grocery stores are far away and pricey and the fast-food outlets are cheap and plentiful, it may be harder to make the healthy choice. New research confirms there are links between our urban surroundings and how likely we are to struggle with obesity. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313185713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095619.htm We all have a friend who can't seem to save, constantly splurging on new shoes or the latest gadgets. But, contrary to persistent media coverage of overspending and under-saving, a recent international survey of more than 13,000 shoppers suggests that chronic under-spending is far more widespread than originally thought. In fact, the study reveals that tightwads outnumber spendthrifts by a 3 to 2 ratio. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317100221.htm When people line up to buy a new iPhone, what is it that they are really buying? A fascinating new paper in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research outlines the four main ideologies governing our consumption of technology, revealing that conceptions of technological use introduced hundreds of years ago still influence our adoption of new products and services today. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317100221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317100216.htm In most real world settings, consumers encounter and evaluate products in mixed environments -- aspirin and deodorant shelved side-by-side at a pharmacy, or an ad for a tropical vacation next to fashion spread in a magazine. Exposure to information about certain products can cause "spillover" to evaluations of subsequent products. But when does this influence occur? Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317100216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095617.htm Consumers in search of product related information and technical support often turn to virtual communities for help. An article on virtual P3 communities -- peer-to-peer problem solving communities -- presents evidence that social capital, widely described as declining in face-to-face neighborhood communities, has migrated online. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095614.htm Traditional brand research argues that logos should be highly relevant to the product they represent in order to be successful. However, marketers have recently begun using unusual visual identifiers that have little, if anything, to do with the product. Market research firm ACNielsen reports that nearly one in five table-wine brands introduced in the last three years features an animal on the label. New research reveals why this tactic is works. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312093854.htm Researchers have made an important neurobiological discovery of how humans learn to predict risk. The research, appearing in the Journal of Neuroscience, will shed light on why certain kinds of risk, notably financial risk, are often underestimated, and whether abnormal behavior such as addiction (e.g. to gambling or drugs) could be caused by an erroneous evaluation of risk. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312093854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124412.htm North American communities supported by logging, mining and other resource-based industries are especially vulnerable to social ills. The troubling link between boom towns and high rates of substance abuse is usually attributed to workers having too much money and too little to do. But a recent study of one Canadian community suggests underlying pressures including loneliness, a lack of healthy social connections and a need to "keep up with the Joneses". Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311083515.htm Following months riddled with recalls for lead-tainted toys and kids' over-the-counter cough and cold medications, many Americans now wonder: Are consumer alerts enough to protect children from serious health threats? Since most recalls occur after a product has already been purchased and possibly used, the majority of Americans want the government to step in to ensure products are safe before they hit the shelves, according to a new report. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311083515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311165932.htm In the largest and longest study to date of weight loss maintenance strategies, researchers found that personal contact -- and, to a lesser extent, a computer-based support system -- were helpful in keeping weight off. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311165932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306183134.htm Researchers have shed new light on the way in which people co-operate for the common good -- and what happens when they don't. In a new study of 16 countries, published in Science, economists studied the extent to which some people will sacrifice personal gain to benefit the wider public, while 'freeloaders' try to take advantage of their generosity. Marked national differences arose when freeloaders were punished for putting their own interests ahead of the common good. And whether they accepted their punishment or retaliated in kind depended on what kind of society they lived in, the researchers found. In countries like the USA, Switzerland and the UK, freeloaders accepted their punishment and became much more co-operative. But in countries based on more authoritarian and parochial social institutions such as Oman, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Russia, the freeloaders took revenge -- retaliating against those who had punished them. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306183134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306202719.htm Children in impoverished families that received extra cash from a government support program were taller, less likely to be overweight, and scored higher on cognitive, motor and language tests, compared with kids in families that got less money. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306202719.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229115314.htm Researchers are developing an intervention using "virtual peers" -- technology driven, animated life-size children -- to help develop communication and social skills in children with autism. Preliminary findings suggest children with autism produce more and more "contingent" (conversationally relevant) sentences when interacting with virtual peers than with real-life children. What's more, virtual peers are endlessly patient, never tire and can be programmed to elicit socially-skilled behavior. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229115314.htm