Cinnamon’s Aroma Spurs Buying Urges

iStock/Thinkstock(PHILADELPHIA) — The scent of cinnamon can elicit some powerful feelings…such as making you want to spend money.

That’s what researchers from Temple University and two other institutions discovered when they examined how different smells affected shoppers’ so-called “spatial perceptions.”

In particular, they tested the effect of scents like cinnamon that create warm sensations and lavender, which is interpreted as cool.

Essentially, when the warm scent of cinnamon is released in an area that’s crowded it makes people feel more powerless. As a result, they compensate for this feeling by purchasing more “prestigious items.”

The researchers believe that buying stuff induces pleasure by boosting dopamine levels in the brain. Interestingly, the temperature and a number of people in the room didn’t bring on feelings of powerlessness until the scent of cinnamon was added to the mix.

Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.