Strike while the iron is hot: Temperature affects consumers' appetite for risk

Many consumer decisions—from trying a new brand to trying a new recipe—involve risk. However, although consumers' appetite for risk has received over 50 years of investigation, the impact of situational variables (e.g., atmospherics) on consumer decision-making involving risk remains relatively unexplored. To address this gap, the current work examines the influence of temperature, a ubiquitous situational influence, on consumers' inclination toward risk. Across four studies, we find evidence for a positive relationship between temperature and risk-taking, using multiple operationalizations of temperature and measurements of risk. Evidence suggests that this effect is driven by warm temperature engaging the Behavioral Activation System, which in turn heightens risk-taking.