The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value
For connoisseurs of antiques and antiquities, cleaning old objects can reduce their value. In five experiments (total N = 1,019), we show that lay people also often judge that old objects are worth less when cleaned, and we test two explanations for why cleaning can reduce object value. In Experimen...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500004861/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797697935045033984 |
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| author | Merrick Levene Daisy Z. Hu Ori Friedman |
| author_facet | Merrick Levene Daisy Z. Hu Ori Friedman |
| author_sort | Merrick Levene |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For connoisseurs of antiques and antiquities, cleaning old objects can reduce their value. In five experiments (total N = 1,019), we show that lay people also often judge that old objects are worth less when cleaned, and we test two explanations for why cleaning can reduce object value. In Experiment 1, participants judged that cleaning an old object would reduce its value, but judged that cleaning would not reduce the value of an object made from a rare material. In Experiments 2 and 3 we described the nature, age and origin of the traces that cleaning would remove. Now participants judged that cleaning old historical traces would reduce the object’s value, but cleaning recently acquired traces would not. In Experiment 4, participants judged that the current value of an old object is reduced even when it was cleaned in ancient times. However, participants in Experiment 5 valued objects cleaned in ancient times as much as uncleaned ones, while judging that objects cleaned recently are worth less. Together, our findings suggest that cleaning objects may reduce value by removing valued historical traces, and by changing objects from their historic state. We also outline potential implications for previous studies showing that cleaning reduces the value of objects used by admired celebrities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:47:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f72f69e7f22641f69082a657db485399 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:47:04Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-f72f69e7f22641f69082a657db4853992023-09-03T12:43:29ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752019-09-011456557210.1017/S1930297500004861The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its valueMerrick Levene0Daisy Z. Hu1Ori Friedman2Department of Psychology, University of WaterlooDepartment of Psychology, University of WaterlooCorresponding author. Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue W, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1For connoisseurs of antiques and antiquities, cleaning old objects can reduce their value. In five experiments (total N = 1,019), we show that lay people also often judge that old objects are worth less when cleaned, and we test two explanations for why cleaning can reduce object value. In Experiment 1, participants judged that cleaning an old object would reduce its value, but judged that cleaning would not reduce the value of an object made from a rare material. In Experiments 2 and 3 we described the nature, age and origin of the traces that cleaning would remove. Now participants judged that cleaning old historical traces would reduce the object’s value, but cleaning recently acquired traces would not. In Experiment 4, participants judged that the current value of an old object is reduced even when it was cleaned in ancient times. However, participants in Experiment 5 valued objects cleaned in ancient times as much as uncleaned ones, while judging that objects cleaned recently are worth less. Together, our findings suggest that cleaning objects may reduce value by removing valued historical traces, and by changing objects from their historic state. We also outline potential implications for previous studies showing that cleaning reduces the value of objects used by admired celebrities.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500004861/type/journal_articleobject valueold objectscleaningpsychological essentialism |
| spellingShingle | Merrick Levene Daisy Z. Hu Ori Friedman The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value Judgment and Decision Making object value old objects cleaning psychological essentialism |
| title | The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value |
| title_full | The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value |
| title_fullStr | The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value |
| title_full_unstemmed | The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value |
| title_short | The glow of grime: Why cleaning an old object can wash away its value |
| title_sort | glow of grime why cleaning an old object can wash away its value |
| topic | object value old objects cleaning psychological essentialism |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500004861/type/journal_article |
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