Buy.ology

I have just finished reading a book called buy.ology which investigates why we shop. I felt like I needed a brief in site into the science of consumerism after studying shop fronts for 2weeks.

The book concentrated on neuromarketing. How the brain reacts to shopping, advertisements and even shop windows.

Our wants can be put down to the ‘mirror neuron’. A study of monkeys by Rizzolatti showed when a monkey picked up a nut, motor neurones would fire up in the brain. Interestingly in addition when a monkey watched another monkey pick up a nut the exact same brain activity occurred. After these findings they moved the studies to humans and found the same phenomenon to be true! Rizzolatti dubbed this the ‘mirror neuron’.

In 2006 Nintendo released the wii console. Most computer game lovers rushed and bought the game and tore open the box. However, one Nick Baily took it home, set up a camera and filmed himself opening it. The video got 71,000 hits in the first week alone, because people who didn't have enough money to buy the console got a 'rush’ from watching someone else having the experience they lusted for. There are whole websites dedicated to this concept such as www.unbox-it.com.

The same response is experienced when looking into shop windows. Picture the scene. A woman passes a shapely mannequin wearing a perfectly fitting pair of jeans and a simple white top. The mannequin looks great, relaxed, youthful and sexy. Even though the woman may have recently put on a few pounds her brain tells her "you could look like that too, if you just bought that outfit. You could be her, in those clothes."

So next time it's the end of the month, your strapped for cash and find yourself on a high street, beware the shopping devil on your shoulder. He is the mirror neurons in your brain.