Consumer Behavior News

December 27, 2024

Top Headlines

Naughty or Nice? Many Parents Rely on Threats to Manage Misbehavior -- From No Dessert to No Santa

Dec. 16, 2024 — When young children's behavior becomes challenging, many parents resort to threats -- from taking away toys to threatening that Santa will skip their house, a national poll ...

Smarter City Planning: Researchers Use Brain Activity to Predict Visits to Urban Areas

Nov. 21, 2024 — Researchers have measured the brain activity of people who had never been to a specific city and then use this brain activity to predict other people's actual visits to places around that city. This ...

Confidence Drives Feedback-Seeking Behavior: Insights Into Learning and Motivation

Nov. 21, 2024 — New research reveals how low confidence drives feedback-seeking, enhancing learning with insights for education and rehabilitation ...

Researchers Discover New Cognitive Blueprint for Making and Breaking Habits

Nov. 19, 2024 — Cognitive neuroscientists have described a brand new approach to making habit change achievable and ...

Latest Headlines

updated 9:01pm EST

Cash Is King: The Surprising Truth About Spending Habits in a Cashless World

Nov. 14, 2024 — Physical cash not only influences how much we spend but also fosters a profound sense of psychological ownership that digital payments cannot ...

Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Can Impact Thinking and Learning Skills, Increase Aggression Among Children, Study Shows

Oct. 28, 2024 — As cannabis is legalized and is more accessible in various forms across the country, there is increasing concern among health care providers about ...

How Social Structure Influences the Way People Share Money

Sep. 26, 2024 — A study of informal finance finds that in East Africa, money moves in very different patterns depending on whether societies are structured around family units or age-based ...

A Risky Business: Why Do Some Parkinson's Disease Treatments Affect Decision Making?

Sep. 24, 2024 — Parkinson's disease, a debilitating nervous system disorder, is treated with medications that sometimes cause impaired decision-making and poor ...

Just 10 Minutes of Mindfulness Daily Boosts Wellbeing and Fights Depression

Aug. 22, 2024 — New research reveals how short bursts of daily mindfulness can boost wellbeing, combat depression and anxiety, and inspire healthier lifestyle ...

Swipe Up! Health Apps Deliver Real Results En Masse

Aug. 13, 2024 — They're the little digital tools you can download in a few seconds, but despite their literal size, health and fitness apps pack a real punch when it comes to getting results, say ...

The Atmosphere in the Room Can Affect Strategic Decision-Making, Study Finds

Aug. 13, 2024 — The atmosphere within a group can influence the outcome of strategic decision-making, according to a new study. Researchers found that different ...

Using the Term 'Artificial Intelligence' in Product Descriptions Reduces Purchase Intentions

July 30, 2024 — Companies may unintentionally hurt their sales by including the words 'artificial intelligence' when describing their offerings that use the ...

To Get Drivers to Put Down Their Phones, Make It a Game

July 29, 2024 — A large trial of strategies to reduce distracted driving showed that those that were 'gamified' yielded a lasting reduction in handheld phone usage while ...

Does the Onset of Daylight Saving Time Lead to an Unhealthy Lifestyle?

July 23, 2024 — Consumers' attitudes and health behaviors respond negatively to the switch to daylight saving ...

Political Opinions Influence Our Choice of Chocolate

Nov. 25, 2024 — We distance ourselves from completely neutral products if they are liked by people who have political views that we find disagreeable. Even chocolate can be political, according to new research from ...

New Study Sheds Light on the Role of Sound and Music in Gendered Toy Marketing

Nov. 6, 2024 — New research reveals that the music and soundscapes used in toy commercials are reinforcing rigid gender norms, shaping the way children perceive masculinity and femininity. The study uncovers how ...

The Harmful Frequency and Reach of Unhealthy Foods on Social Media

Oct. 31, 2024 — An analysis of social media posts that mention food and beverage products finds that fast food restaurants and sugar sweetened beverages are the most common, with millions of posts reaching billions ...

Age Assurance Online Needs to Be Child-Rights Respecting, New Study Says

Oct. 28, 2024 — A range of different age checks are needed to protect children -- but also to ensure they can take advantages of positive opportunities online -- a new study ...

An Individual's Reward-Seeking Strategy Reflects Responses to Nicotine

Oct. 24, 2024 — Individualistic reward-seeking strategies predict responses to nicotine among mice living in a micro-society, according to a new ...

Calorie Labels on Alcohol Might Help Some Drinkers Maintain a Healthier Weight

Sep. 19, 2024 — Just over half of heavier drinkers in England say they would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels for alcohol were introduced, according to a new ...

People Aren't Volunteering as Much These Days: What Gives?

Sep. 17, 2024 — Volunteering used to be a mainstay of U.S. culture. But in recent years, giving back to their community hasn't played as big a role in many Americans' lives. New research suggests the ...

How Cheerful Is That Water Bottle?

Sep. 3, 2024 — New research shows consumers use 'happier' words to search for products when they are in a good mood. Researchers have connected those positive search terms with an increased likelihood of ...

Why Do Researchers Often Prefer Safe Over Risky Projects? Explaining Risk Aversion in Science

Aug. 15, 2024 — A mathematical framework that builds on the economic theory of hidden-action models provides insight into how the unobservable nature of effort and risk shapes investigators' research strategies ...

Peer Influence Can Promote Healthier Shopping Habits, Study Reveals

July 30, 2024 — A randomized trial conducted by health economists found that a bit of peer influence can nudge us to select healthier ...

When There's Money to Lose, Phone Usage While Driving Drops

July 10, 2024 — Researchers discovered that feedback plus cash incentives designed with insights from behavioral science reduces phone use while ...

Pie in the Face? Why Inflicting Mild Pain on Others Pays Off

June 20, 2024 — A marketing professor articulates the appeal of inflicting mild misfortune on others, such as tossing pies into faces, for the purpose of charitable fundraising. The paper provides insights on how to ...

The Time It Takes a Person to Decide Can Predict Their Preference

June 20, 2024 — Researchers have found that people can infer hidden social preferences by observing how fast others make social decisions. The study shows that when someone knows the options being considered by ...

We Spend More With Cashless Payments

June 11, 2024 — A study has found that when using cashless methods of payment, individuals tend to spend more when ...

Unregulated Sales of a Toxic and Hallucinogenic Mushroom Endanger Public Health

June 10, 2024 — Americans' interest in a potentially harmful 'magic mushroom' is soaring, according to a new study. The scientists suggest that the growing market for Amanita muscaria may be sparked ...

Basic Income Can Double Global GDP While Reducing Carbon Emissions

June 7, 2024 — Giving a regular cash payment to the entire world population has the potential to increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by 130%, according to a new analysis. Researchers suggest that charging ...

New Study Challenges 'Pop Psychology' Myths About Habits

June 6, 2024 — By ditching 'pop psychology myths' about habits, we can better understand our habits and take more effective action, according to ...

The Protestant Work Ethic Could Explain a Liking for 'Natural' Healthcare

June 6, 2024 — A strong belief in the Protestant Work Ethic might underpin the decision-making of many people choosing 'natural' approaches to healthcare, new research suggests. Academics say their paper ...

Sunshine Spurs Spending: Investors Bet Big on Sunny Days

June 3, 2024 — New research has found a connection between pleasant weather conditions and higher investment in lottery-like ...

Social Media Use and Sleep Duration Connected to Brain Activity in Teens

May 30, 2024 — A new study found a distinct relationship between sleep duration, social media usage, and brain activation across brain regions that are key for executive control and reward ...