The next time you go shopping for a big ticket item you might want put on your best pair of four inch heels. At least that's what BYU professors Jeffrey Larson and Darron Billeter recommend in their newly released study.
Larson and Billeter find that when a shopper, whether online or in person, has to think about balance they are more likely to weigh their options and go with a product in the middle of the price range.
Not in to high heels? They suggest riding up and down the escalator or go shopping right after your yoga class.
"If you're someone who tends to overspend, or you're kind of an extreme person, then maybe you ought to consider shopping in high heels," Larson says.
To find these results the Marriott school researchers set up experiments where they introduced balance to the consumer experience. For example some people were asked to lean back on a chair while shopping online while others were told to stand on one foot while considering which printer to purchase.
While they weren't included in their experiments, Larson and Billeter say other elements like walking on icy sidewalks during winter shopping could also impact consumer decisions.
"We need to sit back for a minute and consider, 'Is this really what I want, or are the shoes I'm wearing influencing my choice?'" Billeter says. "We need to be more aware of what is influencing our choices."
The study is part of a growing trend of research into how physical sensations affect decision making.
So, have you ever noticed a change in your shopping habits because of outside physical influences? Let us know in the comments.