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Is it just me does this seem like some flimsy research? I mean asking people to choose between two types of paper and observing that people who choose type A a

Is it just me does this seem like some flimsy research? I mean asking people to choose between two types of paper and observing that people who choose type A are more likely to choose type A the next time is hardly conclusive evidence of anything. It'd be weirder if it didn't happen. And if you ask people for reasons why they shouldn't open a bottle of wine just yet they're obviously going to suggest that they're waiting for a better occasion. For something that doesn't even seem like much of a problem, or at least hasn't been established to be a problem by anything other than the author's gut feeling, this all doesn't seem to amount to much more than just affirming people's preconceptions.

derefr 5y ago
> For something that doesn't even seem like much of a problem Presumably the author’s occupation, “marketing science”, is interested in getting people to use things (and use them up) so that they’ll need to buy more of them, so that they a marketer can then sell them those things.
memco 5y ago
Quite! The article doesn't start off on a great note: > Fast forward to today. I have never worn my Target blouse. What had started out as ordinary now holds a special place in my closet, and no occasion feels quite worthy of my wearing it. > What happened here? Why do people own so many unused possessions, treating them as though they are too special to use? One person bought a blouse they don't wear and then extrapolate that people own so many unused possessions? Where is the data that shows how many people have unused possessions, how much of their possessions are unused and how many of those are unused due to their specialness? The article does build a decent case that the idea that once something is assigned a special status that status becomes amplified in an interesting way that should be investigated, but isn't itself a good investigation of that effect.

derefr 5y ago

> For something that doesn't even seem like much of a problem Presumably the author’s occupation, “marketing science”, is interested in getting people to use things (and use them up) so that they’ll need to buy more of them, so that they a marketer can then sell them those things.

memco 5y ago

Quite! The article doesn't start off on a great note: > Fast forward to today. I have never worn my Target blouse. What had started out as ordinary now holds a special place in my closet, and no occasion feels quite worthy of my wearing it. > What happened here? Why do people own so many unused possessions, treating them as though they are too special to use? One person bought a blouse they don't wear and then extrapolate that people own so many unused possessions? Where is the data that shows how many people have unused possessions, how much of their possessions are unused and how many of those are unused due to their specialness? The article does build a decent case that the idea that once something is assigned a special status that status becomes amplified in an interesting way that should be investigated, but isn't itself a good investigation of that effect.