Couponing makes you happier than kissing or cuddling with a loved one!

(So says Coupons.com, anyway!) They’ve got a new study out that says that using a coupon makes you happier than… kissing someone. Really:

From the study:

Coupons.com, the recognized leader in digital coupons, and well-known scientist and prolific author, Dr. Paul J. Zak, a Professor of Neuroeconomics at Claremont Graduate University, today announced the results of the first known research study on the physiological and psychological effects of coupons. The scientific research shows that oxytocin, a hormone that is directly related to love and happiness, spikes when people receive a coupon, and, in fact, increases more than when people receive a gift. The data shows that coupons make consumers happier and more relaxed, underscoring that the holidays don’t have to be as stressful as people think.

The study, “Your Brain on Coupons: Neurophysiology of Couponing” is the first known scientific research performed in a laboratory setting measuring the physiological and psychological effects of coupons on the human body.

During the study, some participants received a $10 coupon while grocery shopping online while others did not. The findings resoundingly show that women who received coupons during the study had significantly higher levels of oxytocin and dramatically reduced stress. Key findings include:

• Higher Oxytocin Levels. Up 38 percent, this marked response is higher than levels associated with kissing, cuddling and other social interactions related to this hormone that is known to be associated with happiness.
• Decreased Stress. Coupons were associated with reductions in several different measures of stress in the heart, skin, and breathing in those who received a coupon over those who did not. Specifically:
  • Respiration rates fell 32 percent compared to those who did not get a coupon.
  • Heart rates dropped 5 percent from 73 beats per minute to 70 beats per minute.
  • Sweat levels on the palms of the hands were 20 times lower for those who received a coupon.
  • Find Your Happy Place. Those who received coupons were 11 percent happier than those participants who did not get coupons. This was measured by participants rating how happy they were on a scale from 1 to 10 at the end of the experiment. This research, coupled with existing data, shows that happiness is dependent on a person’s physiological state and that social activities that relax us, like coupons, make us happier.
• “The study proves that not only are people who get a coupon happier, less stressed and experience less anxiety, but also that getting a coupon—as hard as it is to believe—is physically shown to be more enjoyable than getting a gift,” said Dr. Paul J. Zak, the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University.

While I certainly can relate to the little high and thrill one gets while couponing and getting a deal, it also made me think about the effect on shoppers when coupons are removed from the equation. JC Penney famously got rid of coupons earlier this year, and sales are down. JCP’s CEO has compared coupon shoppers to drug users who are hooked on coupons. But in reading this study, one could also argue that getting rid of coupons makes shopping less fun for consumers!

Fox News a video report on this study too:

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