False Beliefs Can Shape Current Consumption

Abstract

In this study, we explore whether false beliefs about a past experience affect current consumption of wine by suggesting to participants that they either "Loved" or "Got Sick" from drinking white wine before age 20. Specifically, we report the consequences of false beliefs about wine, which could take the form of either increased or decreased wine consumption. In response to the suggestion, and similar to other false memory studies many participants became more confident that the suggested event occurred in their past. However, it was easier to influence participants' consumption behavior when we used the "Loved" suggestion rather than the "Got Sick" suggestion. This finding has implications for marketers who use suggestions to influence product consumption by connecting consumers to their autobiographical memories.