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Shoppers like to think they're in control of their own food decisions, but there's actually a complex web of manipulations between supermarkets and food processors going on behind the scenes.
Who's really in charge at the supermarket? Most of us assume that we're in control of our own shopping decisions. After all, we are the ones with a grocery list in one hand and a wallet in the other. It should be that way. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) doesn't believe it's so. Most shoppers, even the most conscientious and frugal, can fall victim to the manipulations of a food industry that pairs up with supermarkets to influence our purchasing decisions.
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1) Unconscious MindOur unconscious minds rely on habit and what's deemed comfortable and familiar to us. Supermarkets use tools such as windowless buildings, forgettable music, large carts, scrumptious bakery smells, and constantly reorganized aisles to make shoppers stay longer and, by extension, spend more.
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2) DefaultsDefaults are what you get at the supermarket, unless you actively choose something else. This can be packaging size, product formulations, or standard food combinations.
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3) Willpower ReservesSupermarkets and food processors count on the fact that many of us will go shopping at the end of a long day, perhaps on the way home from work, or with tired, hungry kids in tow. That's when it's hardest to rely on willpower reserves.
It must explain why Cheetos constantly show up in the shopping cart.
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by penguinoid on Wednesday July 15 2015, @07:06PM
Like water will flow wherever is locally downhill (even if it ends up being a long winding path that leads to a dead end), most people will take the path of least resistance, whatever is easiest right then and there.
RIP Slashdot. Killed by greedy bastards.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ikanreed on Wednesday July 15 2015, @07:18PM
Unless we see a chance to get one over on someone else. Then we're pretty good at playing the long game.
...We're a fucked up species.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2015, @09:11PM
I feel that our big brains evolved to cope with ever increasingly creative ways of social deception. A war we won against other creatures long ago and started upping the selection pressure by deceiving and assessing/gaining the trust of others. It would explain why we are orders of magnitude better at it than every other species.