[Despite] anecdotal evidence that ceiling height exerts a critical influence on consumers, we were unable to uncover any theory or research that explains how, when, and why ceiling height might exert an effect. This paper seeks to address this issue by investigating the thesis that ceiling height may affect the very manner in which consumers process information and thus how they respond to products…. Relatively high ceilings may prime thoughts related to freedom, whereas lower ceilings may prompt those that pertain to confinement.
So says the study “The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing People Use,” Joan Meyers-Levy and Rui Zhu, Journal of Consumer Research (forthcoming Sept. 2007). The study is proudly announced in a press release issued by the University of Minnesota, where Professor Myers-Levy toils.
Professor Myers-Levy is perhaps best known for an earlier study:
“How Ambiguous Cropped Objects in Ad Photos Can Affect Product Evaluations,” Laura Peracchio and Joan Meyers-Levy, Journal of Consumer Research (June 1994). Vol. 21, p. 190-204.