Restraint as Justification

Restraint as Justification

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

The finding that earlier restraint, when salient, made people more likely to reward themselves with an indulgent option.

What it is

The effect appeared when the restraint could serve as a justification. It is drawn from work by Anirban Mukhopadhyay and Gita Venkataramani Johar (2009).

In effect

In the article on why treats make people feel guilty, a skipped purchase from last week and a long shift this week are the same kind of entry in the ledger.

What it does not say

The effect appeared only when the restraint was salient and could serve as a reason. It does not say that people reward themselves after every act of restraint.

Sources

  1. Mukhopadhyay, A., & Johar, G. V. (2009). Indulgence as self-reward for prior shopping restraint: A justification-based mechanism. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19(3), 334-345.