A new study may explain the love affair with plastic payment methods: shopping presents a therapeutic outlet to relieve stress and worry. A series of studies from the University of Michigan followed undergraduates who were presented with a number of scenarios and shopping experiences.
In one study, forty four percent of students opted to purchase a snack after viewing a bullying incident on video. Those who reported sadness were the most likely to purchase a snack. Those who indicated less or no sadness at all were not at all likely to make a purchase.
A second study asked adults to view a movie clip then browse a list of shopping items, or choose items for a particular scenario. The first group was asked to simply “buy” four of 12 items and drag them into a shopping cart. The other group was asked to pick four of 12 items that would be best suited for traveling.
The results showed that shopping helped both groups relieve stress, but those who were making decisions about the ultimate use of the product (traveling) saw the biggest reduction in stress. This points to the fact that shopping offers an outlet into which people can make their own decisions about the future, and have some control over their experience.
Shoppers and their patterns have been studied in depth. This study is another confirmation that what people do with their money is almost as important as the process of doing something with it.