Jealousy Makes Us Buy Attention-Grabbing Products, Study Suggests

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Do you ever wonder why you decide to splurge on something expensive? It might be because of jealousy.

A researcher in Singapore conducted five experiments and found that the desire for eye-catching products was less when people knew the thing they bought wouldn't be noticed in public.

The researcher, Xun (Irene) Huang, PhD., says feelings of jealousy are not restricted to romantic relationships.

Huang says the study could have implications for marketing, with jealousy possibly being used more to motivate consumers.