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 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:05:01 EST 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/2009/11/091111123642.htm Supermarkets could increase their sales of related items, such as chips and soft drinks, by moving the items closer to each other in their stores, according to new research. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194743.htm The alcohol industry's sponsorship of sport should be banned and replaced with a dedicated alcohol tax modeled on those employed by some countries for tobacco, say scientists. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161216.htm Millions of people are spending real money on virtual clothes in online hangouts, digital items in multiplayer games and presents for their friends in social networking sites. This digitalisation of consumption is an inherent consequence of the increasing involvement of communication technology in everyday social activities, says one researcher. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027103113.htm Many people perceive gambling to be a harmless recreational activity. However, it is estimated that six to eight million people in the United States personally suffer from a gambling related problem. This problem seems to grow tentacles, extending out to wreak havoc and can profoundly impact the physical, emotional and financial health of the family. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027103113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a new study examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140820.htm Florists and other retailers who sell flowers are helped by a recent study designed to evaluate the differences in floral consumption across consumer groups. "Showing care to others" was found to be a very important value that strongly influenced flower purchases. Researchers also noted that those who bought flowers frequently (heavy users) are more emotionally stimulated by flowers, leading to them to look for more novelty and variety when purchasing flowers. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141223.htm The so-called "silver spoon" effect -- in which wealth is passed down from one generation to another -- is well established in some of the world's most ancient economies, according to anthropologists. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125131.htm The Internet has spawned a virtual subculture of "johns" who share information electronically about prostitution, potentially making them harder to catch, according to a new study. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111618.htm A new study finds that Americans who believe in equality are more-impulsive shoppers. And it has implications for how to market products differently in countries where shoppers are more likely to buy on impulse. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162754.htm Most of us won't respond to the call of adventure while soaking in a relaxing bath. According to a new study, we're more likely to book a weekend at a spa. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224151.htm Consumers can have a major impact on the world's efforts to reduce global warming, a major report has concluded. The research estimates that if consumers are responsible for 75% of emissions and in the developed world reduce their emissions in line with government targets, their action could leverage major a 50% reductions in emissions within a few years by 2050. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013104336.htm New research suggests that the change in popularity of babies' names over time increasingly influences naming decisions in the United States. Like momentum traders in the stock market, parents today appear to favor names that have recently risen in popularity relative to names that are on the decline. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013104336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162756.htm If you think choosing between a candy bar and healthful snack is totally a matter of free will, think again. A new study shows that the choices we make to indulge ourselves or exercise self-control depend on how the choices are presented. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007103030.htm Just being around green products can make us behave more altruistically, a new study in Psychological Science has found. But buying those same products can have the opposite effect. Researchers found that buying green can lead people into less altruistic behavior, and even make them more likely to steal and lie than after buying conventional products. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007103030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008192733.htm Researchers studied the drinking habits of 9,833 15- to 16-year-olds in the North West of England, finding that excessively low cost alcohol products and illicit purchase are strongly related to harmful underage drinking. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008192733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162240.htm Can the way stock information is presented lead investors to make the wrong decisions? A new study shows that when investors use charts, they are likely to make a baseless decision about the riskiness of a stock based on its run-length. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095343.htm Subliminal messaging is most effective when the message being conveyed is negative, according to new research. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133252.htm An empty store shelf tempts shoppers to buy the next best thing, according to a new study. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172530.htm The Great Depression had a silver lining: during that hard time, US life expectancy actually increased by 6.2 years, according to a new study. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172536.htm A new study reports that women who feel more positively about women's genitals find it easier to orgasm and are more likely to engage in sexual health promoting behaviors. The study created a scale for measuring attitudes toward women's genitals. Such a scale could be useful in therapeutic, medical and health education settings. The study also found that men had more positive attitudes about women's genitals than women. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924231902.htm Teenagers' attitudes to diet and weight are shaped by their social class, according to new research. Policymakers have long insisted on the importance of understanding young people's health and eating habits but this is the first study to show how everyday practices and perceptions of different social classes contribute to variation in the diet, weight and health of teenagers. Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924231902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923105815.htm Economists have finally proved what most of us have suspected for a long time -- when it comes to apologising, talk is cheap. According to new research, firms that simply say sorry to disgruntled customers fare better than those that offer financial compensation. The ploy works even though the recipient of the apology seldom gets it from the person who made it necessary in the first place. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923105815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162152.htm Whether we're deciding to return to a restaurant or to purchase a DVD, many consumers rely on memory when they're making decisions. A new study examines the role of mood on those memory-based decisions. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162238.htm Consumers follow a predictable pattern when it comes to ordering food and drinks, according new study. It seems people in groups tend to seek variety when making initial orders, then gravitate toward similar choices, and then, as the group consensus grows, to move away from popular choices. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921162238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174459.htm We are faced with making decisions all the time. Often, we carefully deliberate the pros and cons of our choices, taking into consideration past experiences in similar situations before making a final decision. However, a new study suggests that cognitive stress, such as distraction, can influence this balanced, logical approach to decision making. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910142400.htm When business leaders leave organizations following poor decisions, constituents often find comfort in replacing them with insiders -- others familiar with the problem and original choices. But, new research shows that such decisions are best left to a completely unrelated, outside party, contrary to the natural inclination to go to an insider -- someone with personal connections to the old boss. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910142400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110537.htm Researchers at the University of Warwick have found that fake video evidence can dramatically alter people's perceptions of events, even convincing them to testify as an eyewitness to an event that never happened. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910142358.htm Economists and neuroscientists have shown that they can use information obtained through functional magnetic resonance imaging measurements of whole-brain activity to create feasible, efficient, and fair solutions to one of the stickiest dilemmas in economics, the public-goods free-rider problem -- long thought to be unsolvable. This is one of the first-ever applications of neurotechnology to real-life economic problems, the researchers note. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910142358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910184306.htm From CNN to Ashton Kutcher everyone is tweeting. In ads, many companies now display the logo of an animated blue bird holding a sign that says "follow me." Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910184306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907142345.htm There is more to life satisfaction than money, and public policy programs aiming to tackle poverty need to move beyond simply raising people’s income to also improving their quality of life in other areas, according to a new study. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907142345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908084610.htm Consumption of contraband cigarettes among adolescent daily smokers in Canada accounts for 17 percent of all cigarettes smoked by this age group, and rises to more than 25 percent in Ontario and Quebec. This behavior may be undermining tobacco-prevention strategies, as they focus on taxation and minimum age restrictions to curb and prevent smoking. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908084610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163550.htm Rewards go further than punishment in building human cooperation and benefiting the common good, according to new research. While previous studies have focused almost exclusively on punishment for promoting public cooperation, here rewards are shown to be much more successful. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903110806.htm Financial imprudence is linked to other impulsive behavior such as overeating, smoking and infidelity, according to a new study. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903110806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904103525.htm Homicide rates are closely linked to the form of political economy that runs a nation, according to a new study. Researchers claim that homicide rates are significantly higher in nations in neo-liberal politics where free market forces are allowed free rein, such as the USA, but are significantly lower in nations governed by social-democratic policies which still characterize most Western European nations. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904103525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901105155.htm What do hide-and-seek, police searches and video games such as Half-Life 2 have in common? More than you would think, say researchers. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901105155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901163910.htm Cheap drinks can lead to higher intoxication levels and a host of related health and safety problems. A new study has examined the relationship between alcohol prices at college bars and intoxication upon exit. Findings show that, contrary to bar claims, students will purchase more expensive alcoholic drinks and when they do, become less intoxicated than those who purchase more drinks at cheaper prices. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901163910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123214.htm New research finds that when choosing to punish or reward accidental behavior, individuals tend to focus on outcome, rather than a person's intent. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182451.htm What types of messages are most persuasive? For example, would you be more likely to buy a TiVo if an ad described it as offering you freedom or if it explained how you could replay sports events? A new study says the key to an effective message is finding the fit between the consumers' goals and the level of abstraction. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151254.htm Higher levels of testosterone are associated with a greater appetite for risk in women. The link between risk aversion and testosterone predicted career choice: individuals who were high in testosterone and low in risk aversion chose riskier careers in finance. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151307.htm More than a half billion people use online social networks, posting vast amounts of information about themselves to share with online friends and colleagues. A new study has found that the practices of many popular social networking sites typically make that personal information available to companies that track Web users' browsing habits, and allow them to link anonymous browsing habits to specific people. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182542.htm Marketers have always known they must carefully choose where they place their ads, but a new study shows that even the nearby content in a publication -- its difficulty and design -- affect consumers' perception and acceptance of the ad message. They also found that the ad's relationship to the editorial material affected consumer acceptance. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182540.htm From running shoes to ceiling fans, consumers are becoming the designers of their own products. A new study looks at the ways consumers compare their creations to those designed by professionals. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182449.htm Is McDonald's an authentic brand? What about Marlboro? According to a new study consumers are able to find authenticity in unlikely places. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820175857.htm A new study has found a striking correlation between teenage viewership and the frequency of alcohol advertising on cable television. The findings show that ads for beer, spirits and "alcopop" aired much more frequently when more teens were watching. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820175857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083222.htm It is widely understood that, ideally, schools and parents should work together to ensure that children can succeed as students and citizens. But what is the right balance? And how much do teachers want parents involved in the classroom? A new study identifies ways that schools and communities can work with parents to give children the greatest chance of success. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810221409.htm Although depression is the mental disorder that most people associate with suicidal behavior, a new study reveals that a wide range of mental disorders increase the odds of thinking about suicide and making suicide attempts. Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810221409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807154404.htm While most Americans think climate change is an important issue, they don't see it as an immediate threat, so getting people to "go green" requires policymakers, scientists and marketers to look at psychological barriers to change and what leads people to action, according to a task force of the American Psychological Association. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807154404.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025243.htm A focus on psychological wealth rather than financial wealth can help people get through today's tough times, according to two of the world's leading psychological experts on happiness. More money makes people feel better about their lives, but it won't necessarily improve their quality of life, they say. Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025243.htm