Psychologists uncover a simple method to make parting with unwanted possessions easier.
People are more likely to give away unneeded goods if they first take a picture of them.
For people who find their houses filling up with stuff they no longer use, the psychological trick could help them de-clutter.
Dr Rebecca Reczek, study co-author, said:
“What people really don’t want to give up is the memories associated with the item.
We found that people are more willing to give up these possessions if we offer them a way to keep the memory and the identity associated with that memory.”
Preserve the memory
The study involved 797 students who saw an advert for a donation drive.
Half the students saw an ad that said: “Don’t Pack up Your Sentimental Clutter…Just Keep a Photo of It, Then Donate.”
The other half saw an ad that said: “Don’t Pack Up Your Sentimental Clutter, Just Collect the Items, Then Donate.”
Students that ‘preserved’ the memory of what they were donating with a photo were more likely to give things away.
Dr Karen Winterich, study co-author, said:
“The project got started when I realized I was keeping an old pair of basketball shorts just because they reminded me of beating a major rival basketball team in junior high.
I didn’t want the shorts — I wanted the memory of winning that game and that’s what I thought of when I saw the shorts.
A picture can easily mark that memory for me and I can donate it so someone else can use it, which is even better.”
The study suggests an easier way to let go of old stuff, said Dr Reczek:
“It is not terribly surprising that we can keep the same memories alive just by taking a photo of these possessions, but it is not a natural behavior.
It is something we have to train ourselves to do.”
Memories of the item are also linked to our identities, further studies found.
Dr Reczek said:
“These memories connected to possessions are a carrier for identity.
It is this reluctance to give up a piece of our identity that is driving our reluctance to donate.”
The trick may not work for items that are sold or that have strong sentimental value.
The study was published in the Journal of Marketing (Winterich et al., 2018).
