Cash—Walk the line: Examining the impact of payment method on consumers' beer choices

Previous research has revealed that consumers spend less (more) money when paying through cash (credit card). This effect has been attributed to the pain of paying, which is higher (lower) in the case of cash (credit card) payments. We tested the pain-of-paying phenomenon at a bar and collected objective data on almost 1000 beer transactions, including information about the size of the beer consumed (small vs. large), the price paid per beer, the style of the beer, and consumers' payment method (cash vs. credit card). Consumers paying with cash (vs. credit card) spent less money per beer and were less inclined to choose large (vs. small) beers, with the payment method effect on money spent mediated by the size of the purchased beer. Moreover, those paying with cash (vs. credit card) were more inclined to choose dark beers, whereas their probability of purchasing India Pale Ales (IPAs) was directionally lower.Practical ApplicationsGiven our findings that payment method seems to influence alcohol consumption, these results should have important implications for bar and restaurant managers as well as for interventions aimed at mitigating consumer overspending on alcoholic beverages. Specifically, our findings align with research suggesting that card payments promote less healthy and more impulsive choices than cash payments. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with numerous psychophysiological problems, whereas developing social ties, which is common among craft beer enthusiasts, reduces stress levels and improves mental health. Therefore, a reasonable compromise seems to be that policymakers recommend cash payments for alcoholic beverages to maximize social network development while minimizing the risk of excessive alcohol consumption. The result that consumers who paid with cash (vs. credit card) were more prone to purchase dark beers but slightly less likely to buy IPAs warrants further investigation.publishedVersionPaid open acces

Firstborns buy better for the greater good: Birth order differences in green consumption values

Despite multiple studies on the role of birth order in shaping human personality, marketing literature has largely neglected its role in shaping consumer behavior. We conducted a high-powered birth-order study on several consumption-related measures (Nmain analyses = 1358), which consistently enabled us to detect effect sizes even smaller than d = 0.20 with a power of 0.90. Participants filled out scales measuring susceptibility to normative interpersonal influence, the need for uniqueness, and the tendency to express the value of environmental protection through purchases and consumption behaviors. At a general level, we did not find any support for the notion that firstborns (vs. laterborns) are more susceptible to normative interpersonal influence or have a lower need for uniqueness. However, we found robust results regarding green consumption values, with firstborns valuing sustainability and proenvironmental consumption more than laterborns. Considering the number of consumers with siblings in the world and bearing in mind the ease with which birth-order data can be collected, these findings may have implications for activities aimed at mitigating climate change. However, the novel nature of our results calls for appropriate caution.publishedVersionPaid open acces

Citizen Coherence and Cultivated Cleanliness: Using Technology-Induced Social Norms to Strengthen Sustainable Household Bonds

Social identity and social capital are critical to human well-being and sustainable development. However, existing research on sustainable behavior typically treats these factors merely as taken-for-granted preconditions to environmental protection. This paper argues that they can also be direct outcomes of environment-oriented efforts, thus becoming drivers of sustainable societies. As part of a larger research project on household recycling and waste behavior, the authors assess and compare perceived social identity and social capital of residents in a multi-family residential dwelling in Sweden before (N = 66) and after (N = 18) exposure to a social norm-based intervention delivered through a smartphone app. Reported levels of social identity and social capital were higher after (vs. before) the intervention, both compared to participants' own previous measurement and a control group. Together, the current research offers a novel perspective on technology-enabled social norms. Specifically, such norms may not only create sustainable responses immediately, but may also play a pivotal role in shaping more sustainable communities in the long run. Future studies are needed to elucidate the specific psychological mechanisms driving the observed effects and shed further light on whether, when, and why social norms may foster sustainable responses with a clear social connotation.Citizen Coherence and Cultivated Cleanliness: Using Technology-Induced Social Norms to Strengthen Sustainable Household BondspublishedVersio

Pandemic prevention and personality psychology: Gender differences in preventive health behaviors during COVID-19 and the roles of agreeableness and conscientiousness

One of the greatest public health crises in recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic, has come with a myriad of challenges in terms of health communication and public cooperation to prevent the spread of the disease. Understanding which are the key determinants that make certain individuals more cooperative is key in effectively tackling pandemics and similar future challenges. In the present study (N = 800), we investigated whether gender differences in compliance with preventive health behaviors (PHB) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic could be established, and, if so, whether the personality traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness could help explain this presumed relationship. Consistent with our theorizing, we found women to score higher than men on agreeableness and conscientiousness, and to be more willing to comply with a set of PHB. Importantly, both personality traits were found to mediate the gender-compliance link. This means that women's greater compliance levels with PHB could, at least in part, be attributed to their higher agreeableness and conscientiousness scores. A greater understanding of the determinants of PHB in terms of gender and associated personality traits may help identify options for developing more effective communication campaigns, both in terms of communication channel selection and message content.publishedVersio

Touch, threats, and transactions: Pandemic influences on consumer responses and the mediating role of touch likelihood when shopping for fruits and vegetables

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced consumer behavior in numerous ways. Most of the public health measures have centered around minimizing social contact and physical touch. In the present study, we investigate the impact of such touch restrictions, introduced during the pandemic, on consumers’ shopping responses and payment preferences in the context of a perishable food category amenable to tactile evaluation (fresh fruits and vegetables). The study used a single-factor between-subjects design (during vs. before the COVID-19 pandemic), with the data collected in a scenario-based online experiment from a sample of 729 participants. The results revealed significantly less favorable shopping responses during (vs. before) the pandemic in terms of purchase likelihood, satisfaction levels, and purchase confidence. Touch likelihood mediated the link between pandemic condition and shopping responses, such that participants in the pandemic condition reported a significantly lower touch likelihood of fresh fruits and vegetables than their counterparts in the pre-pandemic condition, which ultimately resulted in less favorable shopping responses. Participants in the pandemic condition also reported a decreased preference for tangible payment options (cash), with a corresponding increase in preferences for contactless payment methods (credit card or mobile payment). These findings contribute to our understanding of whether and how tactile aspects may influence consumers’ shopping responses, offering important implications for retailers and people working in the food industry.publishedVersionPaid open acces

Selecting the special or choosing the common? A high-powered conceptual replication of Kim and Markus’ (1999) pen study

Kim and Markus (1999; Study 3) found that 74% of European Americans selected a pen with an uncommon (vs. common) color, whereas only 24% of East Asians made such a choice, highlighting a pronounced cross-cultural difference in the extent to which people opt for originality or make majority- based choices. The present high-powered study (N = 729) conceptually replicates the results from Kim and Markus (1999; Study 3), although our effect size (r = .12) is significantly weaker than that of the original study (r = .52). Interestingly, a larger proportion of Chinese, but not US, participants selected a pen with an uncommon color now than during the original study. Thus, our findings indicate a potential transmission of certain Western values to cultures traditionally characterized by collectivism and conformity, likely exacerbated by the globalization of mass media and the rapid economic growth in many East Asian countries.publishedVersio

Anxious and status signaling: Examining the link between attachment style and status consumption and the mediating role of materialistic values

Attachment theory has recently been recognized as a potentially fruitful avenue for studying consumer behavior. However, few studies have examined the relationship between attachment styles and consumer preferences. Based on literature suggesting that individuals with an anxious attachment style have a particularly strong need for attention, we conducted two studies with a total sample of over 2000 participants, which tested and found that anxiously attached consumers displayed a higher propensity to purchase status-signaling goods than their counterparts with secure attachment styles. This effect was mediated by materialistic values, such that participants with an anxious attachment style reported the highest materialistic values. Additionally, we found mixed evidence for the relationship between an avoidant attachment style, materialism, and status consumption. Together, these findings highlight the importance of attachment theory in the study of status consumption and offer potential implications for research on social status and related research areas.publishedVersio

Can Digit Ratio and Gender Identity Predict Preferences for Consumption Options With a Distinct Gender Image?

publishedVersio

Populated Places and Conspicuous Consumption: High Population Density Cues Predict Consumers’ Luxury-Linked Brand Attitudes

publishedVersio