Increasing Spending Behavior After Exposure to Body-Type Package Shapes

The current research investigated whether exposure to product shapes that resemble thin or overweight human body-types can influence subsequent spending behavior. Our results show that, consistent with the stereotypical view that overweight individuals hold low levels of control, exposure to wide product shapes leads to a decreased accessibility of the concept of control (compared to exposure to thin product shapes) and subsequently leads consumers to increase their level of spending on subsequent purchase decisions. We also show that dietary orientation moderates this effect.