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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO BUSINESS, EDUCATION, AND FOOD EDITORS:
University of Miami Study Says Sad Consumers Exposed To Unhealthy Food
Ads Make Them Think Twice About Indulging
CORAL GABLES, Fla., March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Finally
there is an official benefit to being sad on Valentine's Day.
According to a new University of Miami School of Business
Administration study to be published in the Journal for Consumer
Research in June, sadness can combat over-indulgence in unhealthy
foods.
"We found that when people who are sad are exposed to pictures of
indulgent food or indulgent words, their sadness highlights the
negative consequences of indulging and encourages them to indulge
less," says Anthony Salerno, a doctoral candidate at the University of
Miami School of Business, who conducted the research with Juliano
Laran, associate professor of marketing at the School of Business and
Chris Janiszewski of the University of Florida.
In a series of five experiments, the researchers studied the behavior
of participants who were exposed to advertisements with either
indulgent words or images (i.e. pizza, chocolate cake), or neutral
words or images (i.e. washing machines, electric cars), and then they
were instructed to write about something that made them feel sad. At
the end of the study, the participants were given the opportunity to
eat indulgent foods like M&M's or chocolate chip cookies.
Study results showed that when people were first exposed to
pleasurable information and then made to feel sad, they:
-- Decreased their consumption of indulgent foods;
-- Were more likely to indicate how consuming indulgent foods could
lead to health problems.
In contrast, when people were exposed to neutral information and made
to feel sad, they increased their consumption of indulgent foods.
"In the fight against obesity in the U.S., our research has
implications for both consumers and marketers," said Laran. "It can
show people how to better understand the link between advertisements
and their emotional state and how this impacts their eating behavior.
For marketers of products encouraging a healthy lifestyle, this work
offers more data regarding primes that help or hinder one's ability to
eat healthy or not."
About the University of Miami School of Business Administration
The University of Miami School of Business Administration is a
comprehensive business school, offering undergraduate business,
full-time MBA, Executive MBA, MS, PhD and non-degree executive
education programs. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University
of Miami, the School is located in a major hub of international trade
and commerce and acclaimed for the global orientation and diversity of
its faculty, students and curriculum. The School delivers its programs
at its main campus in Coral Gables as well as at locations across
Florida and abroad. More information about the University of Miami
School of Business Administration can be found at www.bus.miami.edu.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110906/DC62866LOGO
SOURCE University of Miami School of Business Administration
-0- 03/25/2014
/CONTACT: Tracy Simon, University of Miami School of Business Administration, 267-679-2774tsimon@bus.miami.edu or tlsimonPR@gmail.com
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110906/DC62866LOGO
/Web Site: http://www.bus.miami.edu
CO: University of Miami School of Business Administration
ST: Florida
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0000 03/25/2014 14:18:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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