We humans can so easily give in to our [--1--]. Something as simple as a credit card can weaken self-control. The good news is that the reverse is also true: cash can [--2--]. So says a study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Scientists analyzed people’s [--3--] of various food types and found that foods considered unhealthy were also seen as more likely to be impulsive buys. The researchers then followed the grocery shopping habits of 1,000 households over six months. They found that people bought a larger proportion of unhealthy and impulsive food choices (think: jelly doughnuts) when they used their credit or debit card versus cash.

Desire that leads to impulsive behavior is caused by so-called "visceral factors," like the anticipation of the pleasure of eating the doughnut. And so the author's note that desire might be weakened by [--4--] visceral factors, like pain. Other studies have found that paying with cash was more painful that [--5--] the credit card.

So the pain of cash payment seemed to actually control buyers’ impulses. Seems like the craving to eat a Napoleon can be topped by the desire to hold on to your Benjamins.
【視聽版科學小組榮譽出品】
vices buffer us from indulgence perceptions aversive tossing over
現(xiàn)金付款更健康 我們總是很輕易地向自己的惡習屈服。比如說一張簡單的信用卡就會減弱我們的自控力。幸好反過來用現(xiàn)金可以我們混沌的大腦回過神來。此項研究結(jié)果引自期刊《消費者調(diào)查》。 科學家們分析人類對各種食物類型的認知,發(fā)現(xiàn)被認定為不健康的食物更容易沖動購買。接著,研究人員追蹤1000個家庭6個多月的食品雜貨店購物習慣。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)相較于現(xiàn)金,人們使用信用卡或者借記卡沖動購買的不健康食物(比如說果凍甜甜圈)所占的比重更大。 引起沖動行為的念頭是由所謂的“本能因素”所引起,比如說期盼吃甜甜圈所帶來的愉悅感。所以發(fā)表論文的作者也注明這種渴望也會被“負面的本能因素”減弱,比如說疼痛。其他研究發(fā)現(xiàn)付現(xiàn)金比刷信用卡更加“心疼”。 現(xiàn)金付款時的"心疼"貌似可以控制購買者的沖動??磥韺Α澳闷苼觥薄咀?】欲望會被“本杰明”【注2】扼殺在搖籃中~ 注1:拿破侖蛋糕跟拿破侖其實沒有關(guān)系,說法之一是由於它的英文名Napoleon,其實是Napolitain的誤傳,指一種來自意大利Naples的酥皮名字,至今被寫作Napoleon而已。拿破侖蛋糕的法文名為Mille feuille,即有一百萬層酥皮的意思,所以它又被稱為千層酥,它由三層啡色的千層酥皮,夾兩層吉士醬制成,材料雖然簡單,但酥皮的制作過程卻極繁復,師傅要把搓好的面皮不斷重復對摺,這樣焗出來的酥皮才夠松化。拿破侖蛋糕配上鮮果是最理想的組合,不少師傅愛在酥皮之間加上新鮮的士多啤梨或芒果,令味道更加豐富而清甜,甚至有人會用忌廉代替吉士醬,口感同樣不俗。 注1:Benjamin: 本杰明?富蘭克林(Dr. Benjamin Franklin,1706年1月17日-1790年4月17日)美國著名的政治家與科學家。他同時亦是出版商、印刷商、記者、作家、慈善家;更是杰出的外交家及發(fā)明家。文中指代美鈔。