A study reveals that retail therapy does impact our moods.
People really can shop their sadness away.
A recent survey conducted by Ebates.com showed that more than half of Americans have hit the stores to improve their mood.
Scientists agree that purchasing stuff can be a feel-good activity. In a study conducted at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business researchers affirmed a direct correlation between spending and alleviating angst.
Participants watched sad video clips and were then given some money to go buy a snack. Those who completed a transaction had less residual sadness than those who didn’t. The results were primarily attributed to the rush of being in control.
A team from Northwestern University’s School of Management specifically looked into how people use shopping to cope with stress. They discovered those hoping to quell anxiety about a future occurrence were more cautious than those silencing demons from the past.
Medical professionals have weighed in on the matter, too, finding that shopping can release extra doses of the brain’s pleasure chemical, dopamine. The result is a phenomenon called shopper’s high similar to the more mainstream euphoria known as runner’s high.
