Friday, October 18, 2013

The Surprising Upside to Snacking

The Surprising Upside to Snacking

There’s more to munching than you think: Snacking may help you fight the effects of advertising, suggests new German research.

In the study, moviegoers who ate popcorn while watching previews were less likely to buy an advertised item than those who didn’t snack.

Here’s the strange reason why: When you encounter a product name, your mouth automatically practices the pronunciation in a sort of inner voice, says study author Sascha Topolinski, Ph.D. When you see that brand again, your inner voice recognizes it, making you more likely to purchase the product. But if your jaw is busy the first time, this mouthing doesn’t occur, rendering the ad ineffective, Topolinski says.

That doesn’t mean you should reach for a chip every time you watch a commercial during football games this weekend. But if you sometimes impulsively buy stuff you’ve seen on TV, nibbling on a healthy snack during ads—like a handful of nuts or pumpkin seeds—may make you more frugal in the future, the study suggests.

Occasionally fall victim to unplanned purchases? Follow this checkout line checklist.

If you liked this story, you’ll love these:

Powered by WPeMatico

No comments:

Post a Comment