Posted by Benjamin Roudenis on October 25, 2009
People are unconsciously fairer and more generous when they are in clean-smelling environments, according to a soon-to-be published study led by a Brigham Young University professor.
The research found a dramatic improvement in ethical behavior with just a few spritzes of citrus-scented Windex.
. . . . .
The study titled “The Smell of Virtue” was unusually simple and conclusive. Participants engaged in several tasks, the only difference being that some worked in unscented rooms, while others worked in rooms freshly spritzed with Windex.
Clean Smells Promote Moral Behavior, Study Suggests [ScienceDaily]
Posted by Benjamin Roudenis on October 23, 2009
Consider this experiment. A group of students were shown a series of products. There were a couple of bottles of wines, a couple of computer components, and a couple of unrelated products. Each student was given a sheet with the products listed on it. They were asked to write the last two digits of their social security number at the top of the page.
. . . . .
Then they were asked to write that number in the form of dollars (e.g. $43) next to each product listed. Then they were asked to write whether they would pay that amount (e.g $43) for each product by writing yes or no next to each product. Finally they were asked write the maximum amount they would pay for each product.
. . . . .
The students with social security numbers in the top 20% (80-99) placed bids from 216% to 346% higher than those with social security numbers in the bottom 20% (01-20). As an example, the top 20% bid an average of $56 for a cordless keyboard while the bottom 20% bid an average of $16!
. . . . .
What happened in this experiment was that students were asked to consider buying items at that price. That contemplation created an anchor that then subsequently influenced what they were actually willing to pay. The anchor was completely arbitrary.
Irrational Decisions – Anchoring and Arbitrary Coherence [The Rat Race Trap]