Contact: Jenesse Miller, (213) 810-8554 or jenessem@usc.edu
Does “choice overload” mean the end of relationships?
“Less people may actually be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a significant other. Younger, digital natives are much less likely to be in a relationships now, given the plethora of choices available to them on dating apps and on social media.
“Sixty-five percent of high school kids now have never even been in a relationship, so paradoxically, although young people have more opportunities than ever to meet that special someone, they’re less likely to commit.
“Psychologists call this ‘choice overload’: Given more choices, people are less able to choose anything at all.”
Julie Albright is an expert in popular culture, infidelity, relationship issues and online dating. She is a lecturer with the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Albright and USC Dornsife professor of psychology and computer science Irving Biederman will co-host a Facebook Live on the science of love on 2/13/2019 at facebook.com/USC.
Contact: (213) 740-4729 or albright@usc.edu
It’s the thought that counts… really!
“With a Valentine’s Day gift there are strong emotional overtones. For the recipient, there is a tendency to scrutinize what you get to see if there’s a message hidden in the gift. For couples who have been dating for a while, there could be the hope or expectation of a marriage proposal. Some may read signs into gifts that may or may not be intended.
“For the gift-giver, there may be stress about what to buy. They want to make sure the message is correct and show an understanding of their Valentine and what he or she is looking for — not just from a utilitarian point of view, but from the point of view of knowing about the other person. A gift may be perceived as more valuable if there has been some thought put into it.”
Lars Perner is an expert on consumer behavior and holiday shopping. He is an assistant professor of clinical marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business.
Contact: (213) 740-7127 of perner@marshall.usc.edu
Breaking up isn’t hard to do: The gamification of dating
“Dating apps and technology have gamified dating. It’s a game of connecting and not even really breaking up, but of abandoning people. People are now engaged in practices that would violate social norms in the olden days; there are no consequences since they’re not dating friends of friends or friends of family.
“There is a new vocabulary to talk about dating and breaking up because of social media: ‘cushioning,’ ‘ghosting’ and ‘zombieing.’ Some algorithms allow people to peer into each others’ lives and connect on all these different channels. They’ll use tricks and gimmicks to stop dating but remain connected on social media. They’ll ‘like’ or comment on a post to entice someone or to drive them crazy.
“On Valentine’s Day, an app may get you a date, but be careful what you asked for, because you have entered the realm of gamified dating.”
Karen North is an expert on social media, online dating and internet privacy. She is the director of the Annenberg Program on Online Communities at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Contact: (310) 650-5689 or knorth@usc.edu
When it comes to gifts, don’t keep your Valentine guessing
“My research has shown that if you just surprise someone with a box of candies, they are happier than if you first tell them there is going to be a surprise.
“When we are told ahead of time about a surprise, it’s hard for us not to engage in wishful thinking, which can end in disappointment. On the other hand, it’s hard for us to not tell the other person you have a surprise.
“People also think getting a big gift will give them more happiness than a smaller gift. But research shows it’s the gift, regardless of size, that gives them happiness. We have demonstrated that people are just as happy winning one dollar as winning twenty dollars. Giving someone even the tiniest little Valentine can have huge impacts in terms of happiness.”
Eva Buechel is an expert on psychological processes that shape consumer judgments, decisions and behaviors. She is an assistant professor of marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business.
Contact: 213-740-5030 or buechel@marshall.usc.edu
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