Touch it and buy
A new study suggests that the mere act of touching an item makes it more desirable to consumers. According to a report at livescience.com, people who held a mug for 30 seconds were willing to pay more in an auction than those who held the mug for just 10 seconds.
Previous studies have shown that many people begin to feel ownership of an item — that it “is theirs” — before they even buy it. But this study, conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, is the first to show “mine, mine, mine” feelings can begin in as little as 30 seconds after first touching an object.
“The amazing part of this study is that people can become almost immediately attached to something as insignificant as a mug,” said study leader James Wolf, who began the work while he was a graduate student at Ohio State. “By simply touching the mug and feeling it in their hands, many people begin to feel like the mug is, in fact, their mug. Once they begin to feel it is theirs, they are willing to go to greater lengths to keep it.”
The study lends confirms the value of practices used by many retailers for years. Test drives of vehicles and the freedom to play with toys in a story lead to higher sales. It’s also more ammunition for consumers to know when they may be subject to manipulation.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
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