The Consuming instinct: The Consuming instinct: What Juicy Burgers, What Juicy Burgers,

Ferraris, Pornography, Ferraris, Pornography, And gift Giving Reveal And gift Giving Reveal

About Human NatureAbout Human Nature

Gad SaadGad SaadJohn Molson School of BusinessJohn Molson School of Business

Concordia UniversityConcordia University

Ancestral Health SymposiumAncestral Health SymposiumAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia

Thursday August 15, 2013Thursday August 15, 2013

Are Consumers Born or Made?Are Consumers Born or Made?

Wilson (1978): “The genes hold culture on a leash.”

I propose: “The genes holds consumer behavior on a leash.”

Is Beauty Socially Constructed?Is Beauty Socially Constructed?

Aishwarya Rai

Toy Preferences: Learned or Toy Preferences: Learned or Innate?Innate?

• pre-socialization stage (Jadva, Hines, & Golombok, 2010; Alexander, pre-socialization stage (Jadva, Hines, & Golombok, 2010; Alexander, Wilcox, & Woods, 2009)Wilcox, & Woods, 2009)

• congenital adrenal hyperplasia (congenital adrenal hyperplasia (Berenbaum & Hines, 1992) Berenbaum & Hines, 1992)

• Rhesus and vervet monkeys (Rhesus and vervet monkeys (Hassett, Siebert, &Wallen, 2008; Alexander Hassett, Siebert, &Wallen, 2008; Alexander & Hines, 2002)& Hines, 2002)

• boys’ digit ratios and sex-typed play (Hönekopp & Thierfelder, 2009) boys’ digit ratios and sex-typed play (Hönekopp & Thierfelder, 2009)

Important Tenets of Evolutionary PsychologyImportant Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology

• Mind is a product of natural selection and sexual Mind is a product of natural selection and sexual selectionselection

• Domain-specific view of the human mindDomain-specific view of the human mind

• ““learning”, “culture”, and “socialization” are not learning”, “culture”, and “socialization” are not explanations in of themselvesexplanations in of themselves

• Mind is not an empty slate (Pinker, 2002)Mind is not an empty slate (Pinker, 2002)

• Importance of both proximate and ultimate Importance of both proximate and ultimate explanationsexplanations

Proximate versus Ultimate ExplanationsProximate versus Ultimate Explanations

• Pregnancy sickness (Profet, 1992; Flaxman & Sherman, 2000; Pregnancy sickness (Profet, 1992; Flaxman & Sherman, 2000; Pepper & Roberts, 2006)Pepper & Roberts, 2006)

• Proximate: How do hormonal changes affect severity of Proximate: How do hormonal changes affect severity of symptomssymptoms

• Ultimate: Evolved mechanism to expel teratogensUltimate: Evolved mechanism to expel teratogens

Evidentiary threshold is much higher for Evidentiary threshold is much higher for EP-based hypothesesEP-based hypotheses

Established across countless cultures using varied methodologies and measures

Cross-cultural variations are adaptive responses to local environments

Four Key Darwinian Meta-DrivesFour Key Darwinian Meta-DrivesSaad (2007, 2011)Saad (2007, 2011)

1. Survival (natural selection)

2. Reproduction (sexual selection)

1. Kin selection

2. Reciprocity

Avoid predators & find food

Compete for mates

Invest in family members

Build non-kin alliances and friendships (e.g., via gift giving)

Survival-Let’s Gorge!Survival-Let’s Gorge!

Variety effect exacerbates our penchant to gorge (Remick et al. 2009; Epstein et al. 2010; Rolls et al. 1981; Kahn & Wansink, 2004; Rolls, Rowe, & Rolls, 1982)

Survival-Give Me Fat! Survival-Give Me Fat!

• Restaurants & InstitutionsRestaurants & Institutions: ranking of the 400 top : ranking of the 400 top selling restaurant chains. selling restaurant chains.

• The top ten in 2008: The top ten in 2008:

1.1.McDonald’sMcDonald’s

2.2.KFCKFC

3.3.Burger KingBurger King

4.4.StarbucksStarbucks

5.5.SubwaySubway

6.6.Pizza HutPizza Hut

7.7.Wendy’sWendy’s

8.8.Taco BellTaco Bell

9.9.Domino’s PizzaDomino’s Pizza

10.10.Dunkin’ Donuts.Dunkin’ Donuts.

Atkins Diet

Darwinian GastronomyDarwinian Gastronomy(Paul Sherman & colleagues)(Paul Sherman & colleagues)

I’ve Got the Goods-MatingI’ve Got the Goods-Mating

Products/Services Tackled Using EP LensProducts/Services Tackled Using EP Lens

Milinski & Wedekind 2001; Roberts et al. 2009; Wedekind et al. 2007

Haviland-Jones et al. 2005

Cronk & Dunham 2007; Uller & Johansson 2003

Hinsz et al. 2001; Mesko & Bereczkei 2004

Singh & Randall 2007

Smith 1999;Russell 2009; Samson et al. 2010;Elliot & Niesta 2008

Townsend & Levy 1990

Miller et al., 2007

Products as Sexual SignalsProducts as Sexual Signals

Testosterone & Conspicuous Consumption(Saad & Vongas, 2009, study 1)

Cars as Sexual SignalsCars as Sexual SignalsDunn & Searle (2009)Dunn & Searle (2009)

Red Ford Fiesta STSilver Bentley Continental GT

Same man is judged as more attractive by women when in the Bentley

Men’s evaluations of the woman is unaffected by the car that she is seated in

Similar findings were obtained using the hot or not website (Shuler & McCord, 2010)

What your car says about you What your car says about you (Saad & Gill, (Saad & Gill, 2013)2013)

You drive a porsche: You must be tall You drive a porsche: You must be tall (short)(short)

You drive a porsche: You must be a You drive a porsche: You must be a philandererphilanderer

Brand Mentions in Billboard Hits (2003-2005)Brand Mentions in Billboard Hits (2003-2005)Agenda Inc. (Agenda Inc. (American BrandstandAmerican Brandstand))

Top 45 top brand mentions:

23 were for cars Mercedes, Lexus, Cadillac, Lamborghini,

Chevrolet, Range Rover, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Maybach, and Porsche

11 were for clothing and related items Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Payless Shoe Source,

Dolce & Gabbana, Manolo Blahnik, Nike, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton

7 were for alcoholic beverages Cristal, Hennessy, Dom Perignon

3 were of gunsAK-47 and Beretta

1 toiletryCalgon

Male singers are much more likely to utter such mentions

Women Too Engage in Sexual SignalingWomen Too Engage in Sexual SignalingSaad & Stenstrom (2012)Saad & Stenstrom (2012)

Women were more likely to wear sexy clothes, clothes that show a lot of skin, wear a skirt, wear nice clothes, spend time beautifying, wear make-up, and go sun tanning during the fertile phase (as compared to the luteal phase)

See also: Durante, Li, & Haselton (2008); Grammer, Renninger, & Fischer (2004); Haselton et al. (2007); Durante et al. (2011)

Gift Giving across multiple Darwinian Gift Giving across multiple Darwinian domains (Saad, 2007, 2011)domains (Saad, 2007, 2011)

Part of many courtship rituals

“Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it”

Cost of engagement rings is negatively correlated to a woman’s age (Cronk & Dunham, 2007)

Gift giving between kin (Saad & Gill, 2003)

Differential grandparental solicitude (Euler & Weitzel, 1996; Pollet, Nettle & Nelissen, 2007; Bishop et al., 2009)

Paternal resemblance and investing in offspring (Apicella & Marlowe, 2004; Alvergne, Faurie, & Raymond, 2009)

a means of creating and/or solidifying bonds (Bell, 1991; Saad & Gill, 2003)

“A good friend is worth many relations.” (global proverb)

“Hospitality asks for equal treatment in return.” (many cultures)

Wedding gifts as a function of genetic Wedding gifts as a function of genetic relatedness (H1): relatedness (H1): Tifferet et al., 2013Tifferet et al., 2013

Kin (M = 245, SD = 46) > non-kin (M = 162, SD = 45 (p < .001)

Highly related kin (50% and 25%; M = 377, SD = 76) > more distant kin (12.5% and 6.25%; M = 125, SD = 32) (p < .001)

no significant differences between the 50% (M = 393, SD = 133) and 25% (M = 353, SD = 88) groups (p = .21)

No differences between the 6.25% (M = 123, SD = 35) and 12.5% (M = 122, SD = 31) groups (p = .80)

Wedding gifts as a function of genetic Wedding gifts as a function of genetic assuredness (H2): assuredness (H2): Tifferet et al., 2013Tifferet et al., 2013

maternal lineage (M = $260, SD = $84) > paternal lineage (M = $225, SD = $67) (p = .046)

Personal Anecdote: The Explanatory Power of EP Personal Anecdote: The Explanatory Power of EP

Hayward & Rohwer 2004

Maury Show

The Future Discounting Rate: The Future Discounting Rate: Give me some sugar, sugarGive me some sugar, sugar

Photos of sexy women increase men’s future discounting rates. I want it now! (Wilson & Daly, 2004; Van den Bergh, Dewitte, & Warlop, 2008)

Consuming sugar decreases future discounting rates. I am willing to wait until later. (Wang & Dvorak, 2010)

Effects of Baby Primes on risk-taking, Effects of Baby Primes on risk-taking, conspicuous consumption, & charitable conspicuous consumption, & charitable

donationsdonations(Stenstrom & Saad, 2012)(Stenstrom & Saad, 2012)

Study 1: Visual baby primes versus neutral landscapes

Study 2: Auditory baby primes versus neutral instrumental song

Crying prime

Laughing prime

Darwinian Roots of dark side consumptionDarwinian Roots of dark side consumption((Saad, 2007, ch. 6; Saad, 2011, ch. 9)Saad, 2007, ch. 6; Saad, 2011, ch. 9)

Pornographic films and sperm competitionPornographic films and sperm competition

Of all possible human mating systems, polygyny has been much more common and accepted than polyandry

Yet, pornographic movies have a much greater preponderance of polyandrous situations (Pound, 2002)

The possibility of sperm competition yields a literal rise in men’s anatomy let alone libidinal drives

Kilgallon & Simmons (2005): sperm motility was greater in the samples “generated” from polyandrous images

Evolutionarily relevant public service Evolutionarily relevant public service announcementsannouncements

Academic Hostility Toward New IdeasAcademic Hostility Toward New Ideas

““I suppose the process of acceptance will pass through the I suppose the process of acceptance will pass through the usual four stages: usual four stages:

i) this is worthless nonsense, i) this is worthless nonsense,

ii) this is an interesting, but perverse, point of view, ii) this is an interesting, but perverse, point of view,

iii) this is true, but quite unimportant, iii) this is true, but quite unimportant,

iv) I always said so.” iv) I always said so.”

—— J.B.S. HaldaneJ.B.S. Haldane

• I am hopeful that evolutionary consumption will soon become I am hopeful that evolutionary consumption will soon become “normal science” (Kuhn) thus ushering consumer psychologists “normal science” (Kuhn) thus ushering consumer psychologists into stage 4 of Haldane’s progression!into stage 4 of Haldane’s progression!

ConclusionConclusion

Dobzhansky (1973): Dobzhansky (1973):

““Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”evolution.”

I propose: I propose:

““Nothing in Nothing in consumer behaviorconsumer behavior makes sense except in the makes sense except in the light of evolution.”light of evolution.”