They might pinch your feet, but wearing high heels can also help you pinch pennies, a new study suggests.
Being a little off-balance when making purchasing decisions — whether it’s wearing heels to the mall or tipping back on two legs while you shop online — helps you make more balanced choices, according to researchers at Brigham Young University.
The reason? Balance “is metaphorically linked in the mind to the concept of parity,” the authors wrote — and our subconscious awareness of common metaphors has the power to influence our actions.
Previous studies have shown that exposure to clean scents encourages moral behavior, and that traveling north, or “up,” is perceived to be more difficult than traveling south.
With that in mind, researchers designed a series of experiments to test how a heightened awareness of balance affects people’s actions. In one test, study participants were asked to tilt backwards in their chairs while shopping a selection of TVs online. When balancing, people were more likely to select a middle-of-the-road 42-inch TV for $450, rather than a 32-inch for $300 or a splashier 50-inch for $650.
In another experiment, people were more likely to make similar “compromise” choices involving car and printer purchases while playing two Wii Fit games that involve balance, the Penguin Slide and Tree Pose, than when they played a jogging game.
“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,” study author Jeffrey Larson, professor of marketing at Brigham Young, said in a statement.
Other everyday activities can trigger the balance sensation and reaction, too, the study authors wrote. For example, shopping while on a cruise ship, or after navigating an icy winter sidewalk, or after attending a yoga class would likely have the same result.
The study is published in the August issue of the “Journal of Marketing Research.”
