Indulging in retail therapy in a bid to grab a partner's attention may simply be an attention-seeking mechanism.
Xun Huang, Professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, was eager to explore whether feelings of jealousy motivated consumers to purchase things that could capture the attention of their partner.
Huang, along with her team of research scholars, conducted a series of experiments to analyze the theory. The results revealed that jealous partners are prone to head for a buying spree. They are inclined towards buying bright colored coats instead of a dull one or more prominent designer clothes.
"We believe that this effect is not just restricted to jealousy in romantic relationships. Children can be jealous of a sibling's relationship with their parents, or workers might be jealous of a colleague's close relationship with a supervisor," says Huang.
Findings Of The Study
In the study, published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, the team discovered that the yearning for eye-catching products disappeared when one realizes that it would not get much attention.
During the experiments, researchers also found that the participants who experienced feelings of jealousy were more inclined to buy a conspicuous gold lamp for their workplace, a public place.
Another interesting fact is the longing to purchase things in a bid to recapture the attention of the partner overshadows public embarrassment.
Several experiments were conducted by the researchers to help them assess the psyche of the participants. In one of the trials, a group was told to imagine a scenario where they have been invited to a party. Another group was asked to imagine a formal welcome party for new employees, the last group had to think of a costume party being thrown by friends.
The participants were told to choose and decide from pairs of sunglasses ranging from ordinary to unique eyewear.
Researchers discovered that the ones experiencing feelings of jealousy chose to don eye-catching glasses to both parties, irrespective of whether it got undesirable attention or caused embarrassment at the formal event.
Huang believes that these new findings will definitely have a huge impact on marketing since print adverts, as well as television commercials, may capture scenarios where "jealousy is at play." This could encourage consumers to purchase the products in hopes that they can attract attention.
Photo: Gergie Pauwels | Flickr
