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Researchers create music that makes you a better online shopper

Monday, September 1, 2014 - 11:10 by Graham Miller

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A team at the University of London has worked with top producer, Mistabishi, to develop a song which reportedly has the ability to allow anyone who listens to it to become better at carrying out safe shopping online, according to Digital Spy.

The idea is that the track is able to improve your decision-making capabilities and ensure that you do not dither so much over potential purchases, so it is no surprise to see that the researchers worked with e-commerce giant, eBay, to test its effectiveness.

An intriguing combination of sounds, including mainstream music, crowd noise and even snippets of football commentators talking, is involved in the formulation of the song. And there is method in this apparent madness, because consumers who listen to these things apparently do become more decisive at the checkout.

Retailers that offer shopping online can have trouble when it comes to convincing customers to part with cash, as many people end up abandoning their e-commerce basket before they go through with a transaction. But the news that different sounds can influence people's buying habits, even when they are using the internet, could cause sites to adjust the way they target shoppers.

Consumer behaviour expert, Patrick Fagan, highlighted the point that bricks and mortar stores already use music to try and coax people to spend money, so it is easy to see why this might translate to the web.

Researchers found that there are also certain types of music or sounds which alter other consumer behaviours. People writing product reviews while listening to classical music tend to give more generous ratings than those who are not, for example.

The song itself is all part of eBay's 15th anniversary celebration and will no doubt be ringing out across the UK this month as people use its auction services.