People will often sacrifice a better experience and opt for one that’s less enjoyable if it means they can do it alongside a loved one—whether that’s a romantic partner, close friend or relative. That’s the main finding of our research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in April 2023.
People will often sacrifice a better experience and opt for one that’s less enjoyable if it means they can do it alongside a loved one—whether that’s a romantic partner, close friend or relative. That’s the main finding of our research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in April 2023.
For example, when taking a flight, two friends might decide to sit in adjacent seats in coach rather than accept a free upgrade to nonadjacent seats in first class. Failing to choose togetherness can have consequences, as in the «Seinfeld» episode in which Elaine suffers the indignities of economy class, leading to rage against Jerry after he chooses to accept an upgrade.
We conducted five studies in a variety of settings and featuring different social bonds, including friendships and romantic relationships. In one study, just over half of people chose two adjacent seats far from the stage over two nonadjacent seats closer to the stage when imagining they were attending a Cirque du Soleil performance with a close friend, compared with only about one-third who chose the adjacent seats when imagining attending with an acquaintance.
