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reusable bags make people buy organic--and junk
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:25 pm
by la tortue
https://hbr.org/2015/04/reusable-bags-m ... icand-junk
Interesting article about how bringing reusable bags to the grocery store could influence your food purchases.
In consumer psychology the word “licensing†is the key. If I behave well in one situation, I give myself license to misbehave in another, unrelated situation. Similar research has also been done on health decisions. I get a Diet Coke; I treat myself to a hamburger. In this case bringing a bag makes you think you’re environmentally friendly, so you get some ice cream. You feel you’ve earned it.
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:05 pm
by reinhard
Another example of the "halo" effect.
In Mindless Eating, Brian Wansink describes a curious phenomenon: When products are marketed as healthy, people eat more of them because they think, “Hey, it’s healthy.†They’ll even go on to eat more of some obviously unhealthy food because they think, “Hey, I just ate something healthy, I’ve got virtue to burn.†They feel somehow blessed by this contact with the healthy food. Wansink calls this the “health halo†effect. And it’s obviously very unhealthy. Don’t fall for it.2
Engels, Reinhard; Kallen, Ben (2008-03-04). The No S Diet: The Strikingly Simple Weight-Loss Strategy That Has Dieters Raving--and DroppingPounds (pp. 155-156). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:06 pm
by reinhard
Or more accurately, "healthy halo" is a special case of "licensing."
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 2:56 am
by oolala53
This reminds me I read of a phenomenon in which menus that included salads tended to have customers who order MORE high calorie foods. The explanation was that just seeing that there was something "healthy" to get made people feel more virtuous, and thus deserving of heavier foods!
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:45 pm
by HappyHiker
This reminds me I read of a phenomenon in which menus that included salads tended to have customers who order MORE high calorie foods. The explanation was that just seeing that there was something "healthy" to get made people feel more virtuous, and thus deserving of heavier foods!
I wonder if there is an opposite effect that could be made use of. For example, yesterday I went to the store so I went ahead and got a four pack of those Dr. Peppers with real sugar so I could drink one Saturday. Last night I changed my mind about what to have for dinner and had something healthier instead. I wonder if opening the fridge and seeing the Dr. Peppers messed with my mind.
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:46 pm
by oolala53
I'm pretty sure that is atypical.
