Fill Up Your Senses: How Busyness Influences Consumers' Sensory Consumption

ABSTRACT Busyness has become a defining feature of modern life, yet existing research offers mixed evidence on how busy consumers cope, sometimes seeking rest and simplicity, and other times pursuing additional stimulation. Drawing on compensatory consumption theory, we propose that these divergent responses can be reconciled by considering consumers' sense of control. Across four experimental studies, we show that when busyness undermines sense of control, consumers are more likely to seek stronger sensory stimulation (e.g., brighter colors, spicier foods) as a compensatory response. However, when busyness is experienced proactively rather than reactively, or when consumers endorse an incremental (vs. entity) theory of personal attributes, this effect is attenuated. By identifying sense of control as a key psychological mechanism, this research offers a more nuanced account of when busy consumers seek sensory amplification, and provides actionable insights for sensory marketing strategies targeting busy consumers.