To avoid unwanted or unnecessary purchases, keep your hands off the goods. - 03/31/09 06:47 PM
In 2003 the Illinois state attorney general's office warned holiday shoppers to be cautious of retailers who encourage them to hold objects and imagine the objects as their own when shopping.
Authors Joann Peck (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Suzanne B. Shu (UCLA) wondered whether the warning was valid and, more generally, if touch influences the feeling of ownership and valuation of an object.
Their conclusion?
"In our research, we have evidence that the warning from the attorney general is valid. In four studies, we find that merely touching an object increases the feelings of ownership a person has for the object. … (4 comments)

What to celebrate? - 03/28/09 02:03 PM
Many people are going to join the mob and celebrate Earth Hour tonight.  The claim is that there will be more than 1 Billion participants.  But I, along with others, question if that estimate includes people in countries that don’t have enough electricity to make the choice to turn out their lights.  Of course, they don’t have the choice to acquire electricity whereas anyone can choose to stop using human technology if they wish.  Put another way, this "celebration" isn't pro-earth, it is anti-man and anti-innovation.
Or, in the words of Keith Lockitch,
Earth Hour makes the renunciation of energy seem … (8 comments)