We rarely think about it, but our buying choice is influenced by many factors, sometimes unconscious. For example… sound level. How does music in restaurants and shops influence what and when we buy?
Its atmosphere
A series of studies conducted in 2019 led by Deepian Biswas of the University of South Florida, made it possible to trace the connection between the choice of dishes and the music that we hear at that moment. First of all, it turned out that the importance of the «shopping atmosphere», which is created by natural noise and background music, has increased significantly these days. This important factor distinguishes traditional trading from online shopping.
But does background music influence shopping choices? According to the research, yes. Scientists have scientifically confirmed what we feel intuitively: when choosing food, various triggers affect our subconscious mind: from advertising and advice on a balanced diet to the way all this information is presented.
One of the experiments dealt with the topic of dinner and the influence of the environment on our food intake. Significant factors turned out to be smells, lighting, restaurant decor, and even the size of the plates and the color of the invoice folder. And yet — something that is present in almost any public place. Music.
Sound, stress and nutrition
Biswas’ team studied the effect that background music and natural noises have on our product choices. It turned out that quiet sounds contribute to the purchase of healthy food, and loud sounds — unhealthy. It’s all about increasing the level of excitation of the body as a reaction to sound and noise.
The influence of loudness on the choice of healthy or unhealthy food was observed not only where people dine or buy one thing — for example, a sandwich — but also in bulk purchases in hypermarkets. How it works? It’s all about stress. Based on the fact that loud sounds increase stress, arousal and tension, while quiet ones promote relaxation, they began to test the influence of various emotional states on food choice.
Loud music increases stress, which leads to unhealthy eating habits. Knowing this requires training in self-control.
Increased levels of arousal have been observed to push people towards high-fat, high-energy foods and not-too-healthy snacks. In general, if a person is upset or angry, due to the loss of self-control and the weakening of internal restrictions, he is more likely to choose unhealthy food.
Many tend to «seize stress», for them it is a way to calm down. Biswas’ team explained this by saying that fatty and sugary foods can reduce stress and arousal. Do not forget about the products from the consumption of which we get special pleasure and with which positive associations are associated. Most often, we are talking about unhealthy food, which, by virtue of habit, helps to reduce the level of physiological stress.
Be that as it may, loud music increases stress, which leads to unhealthy eating. Given that the sound level is quite high in many establishments, this information can be important for those who follow a healthy lifestyle. But knowing about this relationship will require additional training in self-control.
Loud music is an excuse to put down your fork
Music in catering establishments is getting louder every year, and Biswas and colleagues found evidence of this. For example, in New York, more than 33% of establishments measured the volume of music so loud that a bill was introduced to require employees to wear special earplugs while working.
The researchers traced the same trend in American fitness centers — the music in the gyms is getting louder. Interestingly, in Europe there is a reverse process — reducing the volume of music in shopping centers.
Takeaway from the data: Restaurants can use information about how the environment affects the consumer. And the consumer, in turn, can remember about the «unconscious choice», dictated not by his true desire, but, for example, by the volume of the sound. The results of Deepyan Biswas’ study are music to the ears of those interested in a healthy lifestyle. After all, now we have knowledge that can be the first step towards proper nutrition.