Study Examines Safe Drinking Perceptions
Can the color of the alcoholic beverage container skew the viewer’s perception of the safety of the drink? According to a recent Science Daily release, two psychologists at the University of Missouri (MU) have determined that students who view images of beer cans packaged and displayed in colors that match that of the university believe that consuming beer was less dangerous compared to the perception of those students viewing images of regular beer cans.
One of the psychologists noted that the point of this research was to determine the effectiveness of certain marketing strategies on the perception of behaviors. In studying the perceptions of students, the researchers determined that when people identify themselves with a certain group – such as a college or university – that endorses the product, they assume the product is safe.
Previous studies into this area have investigated how belonging to certain social groups can affect the behaviors or perceptions of individuals. Groups can either be close knit or even broader to have the same result – people build a sense of trust and safety within their own groups.
This particular research determined that undergraduate students who were briefly exposed to beer packed in MU colors perceived the beer to be safer than those who viewed images of standard beer cans. The safety feelings existed even as participants were subliminally exposed to the word, “beer”.
While the psychologists did not measure the likelihood of students who drink when viewing MU colors, this research does suggest a correlation and one worth investigating.
