Research found that it is normal for the hidden online shopping information to the partner?

Author | Beijing Normal University Self -Research Group

Have you secretly hid some chocolate to not let your other half know?

Will you deliberately do not let the other half know what you buy online?

Are you worried that secret consumption will destroy intimacy?

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Intimate relationships usually have the characteristics of openness and self -disclosure, but sometimes people choose not to tell the other half of their consumption behavior and keep their secrets. For example, one of them may go to McDonald's alone on the way home on the way home, or hide the parcels sent to the house, or hire cleaning services, but do not tell the other party. In other words, this consumption itself is insignificant -in the past, it was probably under the circumstances of the other half -but was intentionally concealed by the other half. Researchers named it Secret Consumer Behavior, referring to a behavior of interested partners or other half concealing consumption.

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In June 2022 in a study at the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Kelley Gullo Wight, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Indiana Kelly Business School, Danielle J. Brick, a marketing assistant professor at Connecticut University, Gavan J. Fitzsimons, a professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Duke, discussed how common it was, and what would happen without telling the other half of their daily consumption behavior.

Most of the previous research on secrets focuses on the secrets that hide major negative information, such as trauma or extramarital affairs. These studies usually discover the negative consequences of secrets. However, the study first revealed that the secret consumption in intimacy may have a positive impact.

"In our research, we found that 90%of people have recently been close to those who have intimate people -such as partners or spouses -hiding their daily consumption behavior, although they also said that they think that their other half will not be on在乎他们是否知道了这一点。尽管这些秘密行为大多很普通，但它们仍然可以积极地影响关系。积极的影响是很重要的一部分。”大多数受访者表示，他们秘密消费的最佳描述是Products (65%), followed by experience (12%) and services (10%). The most popular is food or drinks (40%), followed by clothing or jewelry or hobbies (both 10%), gifts or donations (8%), and health, beauty or health products (6.3%).

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They found that the secrets of daily consumption -such as secretly eating pizza or giant, or watching TV programs in advance -it will cause a slight sense of guilt, but it will also drive people to invest more in their relationships, This is a positive impact. "Greater relationship investment" may include spending more money for their other half or willing to watch their favorite movies for their other half.

Researchers conducted a series of studies, collecting data from both husband and wife, and asked them how they concealed secret consumption behaviors. Study 1A-B examines whether secret consumption usually appears in intimate relationships, and their usual expression forms. Secondly, the researchers systematically tested the key aspects of secret consumption, for example, the intention (research 2B) not disclosed (research 2A, 2C) consumption (research 2C), revealing the emotional response (guilt) and of the secret consumption (guilt) and A positive consequences (investing in relationships in the form of self -sacrifice to achieve the purpose of prioritizing relationships).

One of the main authors of the study, Brick said: "My favorite discovery is that the other half often keeps the same secrets to each other. Among one of them, both parties report that they should be vegetarians. But they secretly eat meat. "

WIGHT believes that their discovery provides companies with methods to help consumers secretly use their products. For example, marketers should ask their consumers and who use their products from, so that they can better support the secret use. WIGHT said: "We find that people usually conceal consumption for specific people (not necessarily everyone), which means that encouraging secret consumption should not hinder other marketing strategies, such as word of mouth spread." Secret consumption comes to marketers and consumers to consumers and consumers. Said a win -win situation.

In short, the study revealed that the secret consumption behavior is a common phenomenon and reveals the consequences of this behavior in intimate relations. However, the study did not explore why people make secret consumption behaviors, and future research can further explore the motivation to secret consumption. For example, one reason why a person chooses not to let close people contact secret consumption is to avoid fighting (for example, secretly buying a shirt to avoid fighting because of spending money). Another reason may be the other half that help them (for example, eating candy is to help their other half insist on a healthy diet). However, in the example of shirts, the personal conservative secret is to prevent it, and in the example of candy, the reason for the conservative secret is to promote the promotion. How to act on people's secret consumption behaviors, and then affect the quality of intimacy, and in -depth discussion of future research. (Picture source network, invading deletion)

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Author said

In any case, this study brings us a good news -it is a common phenomenon to hide consumer information intentionally to hide the consumer information, and it may also have positive results. So, continue, keep your secret chocolate, which may be good for your relationship!

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Author | Beijing Normal University Self -Research Group

Source | Selfmindnsocialbrain

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