Being Single: Could Love Trigger Feelings of Worthlessness?

For single individuals, a recent study shows that watching advertising that relates to happy couples or families may actually trigger feelings of worthlessness and even depression in some.

Based on a study conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, they found that reminding people of relationships that they don't have actually lowers their sense of self-worth and can even "trigger them to restrict their own indulgent consumption."

"By reminding people of relationships they don't have, marketers inadvertently make consumers feel undeserving -- less worthy of treating and rewarding themselves," said consumer psychologist Lisa Cavanaugh, assistant professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, via a press release.

Researchers base their latest findings against the idea of "retail therapy," suggesting that people who feel less deserving should not spend money on food and/or other products to make up for another emptiness. Researchers found this problem to be particularly true during the holiday season, in which some may be more depressed than during normal times.

"Marketers may need to rethink the prevalent practice of using images of idealized relationships to sell everything from cookies to cameras," Cavanaugh said. "Because many consumers don't have those relationships."

"Perceived deservingness carries over to affect subsequent choices across multiple product categories -- everything from the foods you choose to the amount of money you're willing to spend on clothing, accessories and even personal care products across retailers," she added, via the release.

Through a series of experiments based on participants who were exposed to different types of relationship reminders, including advertisements, greeting cards and newspaper articles, the study found that single individuals were more likely to chose fewer high-end products when they were exposed to romantic advertising. Yet the opposite was true if it reminded them of platonic relationships.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the article "Because I (Don't) Deserve It: How Relationship Reminders and Deservingness Influence Consumer Indulgence," from the publication Journal of Marketing Research.