Title: Should You Wear a Costume for Halloween? | Psychology Today
Headings: Should You Wear a Costume for Halloween?
Utpal Dholakia Ph.D.
Should You Wear a Costume for Halloween?
The pros and cons of dressing up for undecided readers.
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Reasons why you shouldn’t wear a Halloween costume
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Content: For sheer enjoyment of the experience. Consumer researchers have argued that rather than providing utilitarian benefits, the value of many consumption experiences lies in the “ fantasies, feelings, and fun” they provide. To many people, Halloween costumes provide all three of these things in good measure. So the first and foremost reason for wearing a costume is the simplest yet most powerful one: enjoyment of the experience. Simply put, when you think of your past Halloween experiences, if what comes to your mind are fond memories of costumed revelry, you should stop reading right here. Any ethical marketer would say that in the end, the customer’s happiness is what matters. If consumers enjoy the experience (and are not hurting themselves or others), they should just do it. But chances are that if you are undecided about whether to wear a costume on Halloween, your decision calculus is a bit more complicated. Why else might you want to wear a costume?