Scientists have analyzed whether people's desire regarding something that is not available at that moment, increases or decreases over time.
In a recent study titled 'How Non-Consumption Shapes Desire,' Ayelet Fishbach, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and co-author Xianchi Dai of Chinese University of Hong Kong, found if a person is aware of a substitute for something, the longer they have gone without, the weaker their desire for the non-consumed good becomes.
Conversely, when no substitute comes to mind, the longer non-consumption period suggests to a person that their need has been neglected, and their desire becomes stronger. Therefore, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' is the fitting sentiment in this situation.
Fishbach said that they demonstrated these effects on desire in five studies that assess various aspects of desire: feelings of missing, liking, and consumption intentions, and their findings indicate that desire is constructed, and results from a judgment people make based on the length of their non-consumption and the availability of substitutes for the original good.
Fishbach added that presenting the question was intended to increase consumers' craving for goods, which would be effective only when no substitutes come to the consumer's mind and as long as the non-consumption appears outside of personal control.
The study is due to be published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
