Do you think you could be influenced on your choice of wine if you went to buy a bottle?
Do you think possible placement could influence you?
What about background music?
Well, the psychology of consumer choice seems to suggest that we don’t always exhibit free will even if we think we are.
A study (North, Hargreaves, McKendrick, 1999) tested a hypothesis that background music could influence the purchase of wine whose country of origin was either France or Germany. Alternate music from each country was played on alternate days over a two-week resting period.
Where did this study take place?
The study was carried out in the East Midlands region of the UK.
What did the research show?
There was a statistically significant result with more French wines being bought when French music was played and more German wines being bought when German music was being played.
What was also striking was that participants were supplied with a questionnaire about what wines they preferred and if the music had made any effect on their choice. Only 6 of the 44 participants said that it had. In essence, shoppers were unaware of the influence the music was having.
Let's raise a glass to consumer choice!
References:
North, A. Hargreaves, D. McKendrick, J. ‘The Influence of In-Store Music on Wine Selections’ in Journal of Applied Psychology (1999) Vol 84, No 2. Available from: http://bibl.imuz.uw.edu.pl/.../North-Hargreaves... (Last Accessed: 12/05/2022)
image credits: stevepb/pixabay
We don't have free will as we think we have. It reminds me of Einstein: he said we are all connected in chain. We think we are free but it is not true.
Here is a exact quote of him:
Man can do what he wants, but he cannot will what he wills.
It's quite remarkable to see the influence music has on our lives.