In The News

University of Toronto scientists have linked the mere presence of fast food chains to increased impatience and the desire for instant gratification. As reported by the Times of London, the Toronto researchers discovered that exposing participants to fast food logos made them "jittery" and agitated and even decreased their impulse to save money. The findings of the study will soon be published in the journal of Psychological Science. 

"Although each individual sighting of a logo has only a short-term subliminal effect, researchers fear that walking daily past numerous burger bars and sandwich shops could have a cumulative "behavioural priming" effect, making people hurry whether or not they are pushed for time."

"Fast food represents a culture of time efficiency and instant gratification," said Chen-Bo Zhong, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at Toronto University in Canada."

"The problem is that the goal of saving time gets activated upon exposure to fast food regardless of whether time is a relevant factor in the context.For example, walking faster is time-efficient when one is trying to make a meeting, but it's a sign of impatience when one is going for a stroll in the park."

"We're finding that the mere exposure to fast food is promoting a general sense of haste and impatience regardless of the context."

read full story here
original source the Times of London