Scientists have found that our body clocks play a significant role in determining what we choose to buy, with the number of 'hedonic purchases' increasing significantly during the early evening hours.
Scientists say most people will reach for sugary treats in the evening because we're programmed to make more hedonistic choices then. A study has concluded that while we tend to be sensible and restrained in the mornings, evenings are for excess because we're more 'psychologically aroused' at that time of day.
The Australian and Chinese researchers looked at how circadian rhythms - the body's internal clocks, which operate on a roughly 24-hour cycle - affect what we choose to buy. Our body clocks are implicated in a range of processes including body temperature, hormone secretion, cardiovascular activity, sleep patterns, and levels of arousal.
The team analysed the timing and content of nearly 250,000 online shopping transactions, which showed that the number of 'hedonic purchases' - items which were luxurious, indulgent or decadent - increased significantly during the early evening hours, rising sharply at 7pm and reaching their peak at 8pm. In a second experiment, 200 people were asked to imagine they were doing their daily shopping and wanted to treat themselves to a chocolate lava cake, or a bowl of fruit.
The group which was asked this question at 8pm were 60 per cent more likely to opt for the cake, compared to a second group asked the same question at 10am. Tests also showed that people were more 'psychologically aroused' in the evenings.
Writing about their research in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, the scientists said: 'The heightened preference for hedonic options in the evening is not driven by fatigue, but rather by the natural rise in psychological arousal which provides the motivation resources necessary to pursue and justify pleasure-oriented choices. Hedonic consumption is an active pursuit of pleasure that requires overcoming the 'guilt' of indulgence.
Our experimental data confirms that the high-arousal state of the evening equips consumers to navigate these hurdles
Sugary Treats Evening Body Clocks Hedonic Purchases Psychological Arousal
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