Vohs, K. D., Wang, Y., Gino, F., &Norton, M. I. (2013). Rituals enhance consumption. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1714-1721.
Four experiments tested the novel hypothesis that ritualistic behavior potentiates and enhances ensuing consumption—an effect found for chocolates, lemonade, and even carrots. Experiment 1 showed that participants who engaged in ritualized behavior, compared with those who did not, evaluated chocolate as more flavorful, valuable, and deserving of behavioral savoring. Experiment 2 demonstrated that random gestures do not boost consumption as much as ritualistic gestures do. ...