You Touch It, You Buy It
By: RNS
Updated: January 7, 2009
Touching the goods can lead consumers to open their wallets wider.
That's the finding from researchers at two Midwestern universities.
The study showed people who touched an inexpensive coffee mug for a few seconds formed a bond with the item that led them to pay more for it.
Researchers from Ohio State University and Illinois State University found those who held the mugs longer than a few seconds were also more likely to try to outbid others in an auction for the cups. Participants who held the items longer were more likely to place higher bids on the mugs.
Even though the study subjects were told the retail price of the mugs, people who held the cups for longer periods of time bid more than the retail price four out of seven times.
The results of the study are published in the journal Judgment and Decision Making. Read the study here.
