@article{ref1,
title="Constrained physical space constrains hedonism",
journal="Journal of the Association for Consumer Research",
year="2016",
author="Xu, Alison Jing and Albarracín, Dolores",
volume="1",
number="4",
pages="557-568",
abstract="Prior research shows that people demonstrate greater regulation of motor and social activities when they are in a confined physical space. This article examines whether space constraint affects people's behavior toward hedonistic consumption of vice products (e.g., high-calorie foods) and their self-regulation in general. We propose that space constraint may have a generalized effect that enhances regulation of behaviors that are unrelated to the space. Manipulating space constraint by varying density or by assigning individual participants to different-sized rooms, three experiments demonstrated that smaller (vs. larger) spaces reduce impulsive purchase of vice products, lead to lower consumption of high-calorie foods, and yield fewer false alarms in a go/no-go task. Consistent with our findings, both international and US data showed that more densely populated regions have a lower prevalence of outcomes associated with low self-control (e.g., prevalence of overweight and obesity, death caused by road traffic accidents).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2378-1815",
doi="10.1086/688222",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/688222"
}