Effects of Ambient Music Exposure on Simulated Buy Decisions
Daniel Gaygen

Abstract
Previous research has revealed a complex but mostly positive relationship between exposure to music and various aspects of consumer behavior. Much of that research took place in the field and most of it involved observations or questionnaires for data collection. The purpose of this study was to find corroborating evidence for previous research on the affective quality of music in marketing contexts in a well-controlled laboratory experiment using the tools and techniques common to other areas of research in human cognition. This is the first study to investigate causal connections between music and simulated buying behavior in the laboratory. The results indicate that exposure to music shortens viewing times and inhibits buy decisions. The results also indicate a linear relationship between reaction time and buy decisions such that, on average, unwanted items are rejected quickly and longer viewing times result in more buy decisions. To not buy something appears to be the default, unconscious, rapid and automatic decision while buying something appears to require more conscious cognitive effort and processing time.

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