Study Proves The ‘Shopping Cart Theory’ Actually Can Reveal Someone’s True Character
Dragana Gordic | ShutterstockThe "shopping cart theory" has been circulating on the internet for a few years now, according to a frequently shared Reddit post, but it's not just a joke. A 2008 study in the journal Science suggests there's actually truth to it.
We've all gone to the grocery store before and seen the shopping carts all scattered about, blocking parking spaces and making some poor employee have to wrangle them all in the summer heat. In recent years, this dilemma has turned into something of a philosophical debate online, with many believing people's shopping cart behavior reveals some core truths about their character. It turns out the meaning of our shopping cart habits is fascinatingly complex.
The shopping cart theory proposes that you can tell who is and isn't a good person by whether they put their shopping cart away.
Reddit
The shopping cart theory has been around for a few years now, and resurfaces seemingly every few months as the debate is re-sparked. It's one of those weirdly simple ways to separate the good guys from the shady ones. Or, as the theory itself puts it, "The shopping cart is what determines whether a person is a good or bad member of society."
"To return the shopping cart is an easy, convenient task, and one which we all recognize as the correct, appropriate thing to do," an image from the Reddit post says. It goes on to claim that putting back a shopping cart is "objectively right."
But, just as important, the post says that not returning a shopping cart is "not illegal," which seems to be the crux of the issue. The post continues, "Therefore, the shopping cart presents itself as the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it. No one will punish you ... no one will fine you, or kill you ... you gain nothing by returning the shopping cart. You must return the shopping cart out of the goodness of your own heart."
Researchers say the shopping cart theory actually does reveal that humans' tendency towards chaos is contagious.
While it may seem crazy to think that a shopping cart could reveal so much, science backs it up. In the study, researchers examined how a person's environment would impact their actions. They were basically trying to determine if people were more likely to follow the behavior pattern that was expected of them by others.
To do this, researchers placed flyers on cars in a supermarket parking lot to see if people would throw them on the ground or throw them in the garbage. And, sure enough, there was a direct correlation between the shopping carts in the lot and whether or not people did the right thing.
If the shopping carts in the lot were strewn around, the study subjects were nearly twice as likely to continue the chaos by throwing the garbage on the ground. 58% of them did so, as opposed to just 30% who did so when the carts were neatly arranged in their little corral.
So, can shopping cart habits accurately measure whether you're a good or bad person?
ALPA PROD | Shutterstock
Not exactly. There's no scientific basis for whether or not putting your cart away is an inherently good or bad thing. After all, there are a lot of reasons someone might choose not to put their cart away that you can't argue with.
For example, Reader's Digest interviewed several Costco employees to see what they thought about the debate based on their own experience with some of the world's largest shopping carts. An assistant named Jordan thinks "it depends on the situation." He noted that "a guy in a lifted truck who is too entitled to walk his cart 20 feet" and "a mom with two kids in the cart trying to load up a ton of groceries in the rain" are hardly the same thing.
It sounds like we'll all just have to continue fighting the shopping cart war, passionately defending our own side while the other makes no sense to us. Just know that in an already organized parking lot, you may feel more compelled to return it.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
