scientific studies

Research Shows That Expensive Items Bring More Pleasure
Wine

Will a $90 Bottle of Wine Make You Happier?

If we were enjoying a nice meal together and I told you that the wine cost $90, would you think it tastes better than if I had told you it was $10?
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If we were enjoying a nice meal together and I told you that the wine cost $90, would you think it tastes better than if I had told you it was $10? According to a new study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, you would.

By using a new brain-scanning technology, researchers from the California Institute of Technology and Stanford's business school discovered that when drinking wine, the amount of pleasantness experienced was linked directly to the price. This was repeatedly found true, even though it was the same wine — Cabernet Sauvignon — for each test. They discovered that the higher the price, the higher the levels of blood and oxygen in the pleasure part of the brain.

I find the whole study very interesting — I hope it doesn't lead to a surge of higher priced goods just because marketers think we'll enjoy them more — but what do you think?

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Researcher Determines That the Smell of Cookies Make People Shop More
Shopping

Do Cookies Make You Shop?

The smell of a warm chocolate-chip cookie is enough to drive anyone crazy.
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The smell of a warm chocolate-chip cookie is enough to drive anyone crazy. The warm, sweet aroma permeates the brain and makes you forget everything else. At least, that's what a recent study for the Journal of Consumer Research has (sort of) concluded.

Research done by Xiuping Li of the National University of Singapore showed than when exposed to a hidden chocolate-chip cookie scented candle, female consumers were more likely to make an unplanned purchase — even those on a tight budget — than those exposed to a hidden unscented candle. In fact, it wasn't just a little more likely, it was a lot more likely. In the chocolate-chip cookie group, 67 percent of those purchased, while only 17 percent of the unscented group purchased.

Unsurprisingly, Li concludes:

If retailers want to push their customers to shop more rather than stay longer, they should not only maintain a pleasant environment but also an environment full of temptations and excitement.

So have you guys experienced anything like this? Do you think the smell of chocolate-chip cookies would affect your shopping habits? If not chocolate-chip cookies, then what food?

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