NEW YORK. The kind of things you shop for is affected by your genes, according to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Authors Itamar Simonson, of Stanford University and Aner Sela, of the University of Florida, said that a strong indicator of whether behavior is genetically inherited is whether or not it is shared by identical twins.
The researchers found that identical twins were more likely to share tendencies to enjoy science fiction movies or to buy hybrid cars, for instance.
Other tendencies included: playing safe instead of gambling; choosing moderation over extremes; and buying useful but boring stuff like batteries over exotic chocolates.
The authors said their study aimed to find out why certain people live “orthodox,” mainstream lives, while others preferred to live “on the edge” of society.
