The effect of financial constraints on individual preferences for visual density

Financial constraint refers to the extent to which individuals perceive themselves as financially deprived. Existing literature on the impact of financial constraints on visual perception primarily focuses on single visual elements, such as color, shape, visual breadth, and salience, with limited attention given to multiple visual elements, such as visual density. In this paper, through three experiments, the results show that financial constraints increase individuals' preference for products with high visual density (H1). This phenomenon arises from the experience of financial constraint, which represents a form of resource scarcity. According to metaphor theory, this scarcity evokes feelings of emptiness, and patterns with high visual density help alleviate this feeling of emptiness by creating a sense of being "filled," thus mediating the effect of financial constraints and preference for visual density (H2). Moreover, the level of self-acceptance moderates this effect (H3). Specifically, for individuals with low self-acceptance, financial constraints increase their preference for products with high visual density patterns (H3a), whereas for individuals with high self-acceptance, financial constraints decrease this preference (H3b). These findings provide valuable insights for marketers, designers, and policymakers in optimizing the graphic design of product and packaging patterns.