Do you rush to answer the doorstep when the delivery guy rings the doorbell to conceal your most recent package from your partner?
New research indicates that secret purchases, such as a hoard of pricey chocolates you don’t want to share, might deepen your relationship.
The Indiana University survey discovered that 90% of respondents had not mentioned their recent consumer behaviors to their loved ones, even if they do not believe their loved ones would be offended.
However, the mild emotions of guilt associated with these secrets can motivate individuals to spend more time in their relationship.
Co-author Danielle Brick, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Connecticut, remarked, “One of my favorite results is that partners frequently share the same secrets.”
In one pair, both partners admitted to surreptitiously consuming meat while being vegetarians.
The majority of past study on keeping secrets within relationships has explored the negative effects of secrets that conceal crucial facts, such as trauma or extramarital affairs.
This study, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, is the first documented examination of the emotional, behavioral, and relational effects of ordinary hidden purchases.
The author’s assessed couples regarding the consuming habits they conceal from one another and the consequences of doing so.
The most common form of covert consumption was the purchase of a product, with 65% claiming to have done so.
This was food or drink for 40% of participants, followed by apparel and jewelry for 10% and health, beauty, or wellness products for 6.3%.
Twelve percent of individuals surveyed cited an experience as the second most popular category, while ten percent claimed to have a secret hobby.
Ten percent of participants reported that they provided a service that their spouse did not know about, while eight percent reported that it was a gift or donation.
Kelley Gullo Wight, an assistant professor of marketing at the Kelley School of Business and the study’s lead author, stated, ‘Even though the majority of these secret acts are relatively routine, they can nevertheless have a beneficial effect on the relationship.
Good influence is an essential component.
The study results also found that maintaining these secrets makes individuals experience a modest amount of shame, which pushes them to spend more on their romantic partner.
This may be spending more money on Valentine’s Day or being willing to see their partner’s favorite movie, which has a favorable effect on their relationship.
The authors assert that their discovery may influence how corporations promote their products, as they may want to support its hidden use between couples.
Ms. Wight said, “We find that consumers generally keep their consumption a secret from a single person, not necessarily everyone, which means that encouraging hidden consumption should not hinder other marketing tactics, such as word-of-mouth.”
