Feeling out of control? Try buying cleaning fluid

WE have all had those days - stuck in a traffic jam on the expressway as we head towards that important meeting; it's PSLE time and the daughter still hasn't mastered fractions; or the washing machine repair man can't come till a week later but the washing's piling up - that sense of helplessness and loss of control.

My team and I set out to discover how this state of mind - when we are placed in a position in which we feel we have little control - affects our behaviours, particularly in how and what we buy. Put in another way, how do we react in our daily routine - such as shopping - when we are overcome with a feeling of loss of control?

Our research shows that when consumers feel a sense of loss of control, they are more likely to buy useful and functional things, than pay for luxurious and indulgent goods. Practical purchases such as an assessment book that teaches fractions, or a screw driver - that is, with problem solvin…