Lunchtime Trivia Thursday, September 8th

Q:  Although this normally would be thought of  as a bad thing and seems to be counter intuitive, those who do this are helping improve their relationship.  What are they doing?

A: Hiding small purchases from their partner.

Also called secret consumption. It could be hiding treats or snacks.

One couple both hid that they enjoyed meat on occasion although both claim to be vegetarian.

…new research finds hiding a few small purchases from your significant other may actually benefit the relationship. Study authors report the guilt stemming from “secret consumer behavior” frequently leads to greater relationship investment.

“In our study, we found that 90% of people have recently kept everyday consumer behaviors a secret from a close other — like a friend or spouse — even though they also report that they don’t think their partner would care if they knew about it,” says co-lead study author Kelley Gullo Wight, an assistant professor of marketing at the Kelley School, in a university release. “Even though most of these secret acts are quite ordinary, they can still — positively — impact the relationship. The positive impact is an important piece.”

https://bit.ly/3cYDXt7