Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD President at American Psychological Association | Official website
A recent study suggests that distractions during meal times could lead to overconsumption of everyday pleasures, possibly due to a decrease in enjoyment. The research, published by the American Psychological Association, focused on "hedonic consumption," which refers to purchasing and using products or experiences for pleasure rather than necessity.
"Individuals often consume more hedonic goods than they want or than is good for them," stated lead author Stephen Lee Murphy, PhD, of Ghent University. He suggested that one reason for this overconsumption might be distraction. According to Murphy's research, when people are distracted during a pleasurable activity, they tend to derive less enjoyment from it and may subsequently consume more to compensate for this dissatisfaction.
The researchers conducted an experiment involving 122 participants who reported their anticipated enjoyment of their lunch before eating it. They were then asked to eat under one of three conditions: no distraction, moderate distraction (watching a video), and high distraction (playing Tetris). Participants who ate while distracted reported lower levels of enjoyment and satisfaction, leading to increased snacking later in the day and a general desire for further gratification.
This effect, termed "hedonic compensation" by the researchers, is believed to apply beyond eating. For instance, individuals distracted while watching a movie or playing a game may engage in additional consumption activities such as checking social media.
In another part of the study involving 220 participants aged between 18 and 71 years old over a week-long period, similar results were observed. When people were distracted during consumption activities, they tended to enjoy the product less than expected and felt less satisfied overall.
Murphy explained that overconsumption is often attributed to lack of self-control but their findings suggest it may also be driven by the human desire for reaching certain levels of enjoyment from an activity. If distractions interfere with this process, individuals might attempt to compensate through increased consumption.
The team plans further research into the existence of a hedonic compensation effect and possible interventions to help people pay more attention to their consumption experiences, thereby reducing the likelihood of overconsumption.
"By understanding the key drivers of hedonic overconsumption, we can develop strategies to help prevent its occurrence," Murphy concluded.
The study, "Underwhelming Pleasures: Towards a Self-Regulatory Account of Hedonic Compensation and Overconsumption," was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology on May 16, 2024.
