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The thought behind shopping for the holidays n

Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal Lifestyle Editor Courtney Combs

Graphic Arts Manager Chelsea Stulen

Graphic Arts Intern/Cover Art Luke Blankenship

Graphic Art Intern Ashley Barzaga

USF professor explains the psychology and marketing in what you buy.

By Wesley Higgins N E W S

E D I T O R

Holiday shoppers can’t help but be conscious of loud advertising on television and magazines, but marketing doesn’t end once the consumer walks into the store.

In fact, stores are finding psychological influences to get people to subconsciously want to spend more money than accounted for in their shopping list.

Over the few years, Dipayan Biswas, a USF marketing professor and Journal of Consumer Marketing editor, said big business has invested more money and time in researching techniques that affect a customer’s mind.

“We don’t consciously process every piece of information,” he said. “We use shortcuts.”

These shortcuts can be tricked to persuade a customer to emotionally feel want for a product.

The logical part of the brain later rationally justifies the decision by the time the credit card is swiped.

The classic example of this is when stores price items a cent below the dollar. Biswas said the economically miniscule difference between $9.99 batteries and $10 batteries is amplified by how the brain routes information.

Higher priced items can also feel like a great value when placed next to more extravagantly priced items. Biswas said stores employ this technique when they can’t sell an overpriced item, but don’t want to take a loss by discounting it.

“The human brain doesn’t make judgments in absolute terms,” he said. “It makes it in

relative terms,” he said. “A $50 shirt might look high, but next to a $100 shirt, it looks cheap.”

Williams-Sonoma, a kitchenware company, even produced a $500 deluxe edition of its bread maker to sit next to and drive the sales of its $250 bread maker.

Simply putting “SALE” next to an item drives sales, Biswas said, whether it is sold at market value or not.

“People get a kick at getting a bargain,” he said. “It’s stronger for females than males.”

Coloring “SALE” in red may also influence behavior. Biswas said red grabs attention, and the color is also associated with stores losing money by being in the red.

Businesses can exploit other parts of the senses as well.

Abercrombie and Fitch uses beach scents to prime the customers to imagine themselves at the beach, wearing the company’s clothing.

Music is also used to set the shopping experience. Biswas said it can even direct customer traffic.

“A lazy afternoon slows down the tempo of the music so people will walk slowly and spend more time in the store,” he said.

“It might also be faster pace on busy weekends to speed up the process and get more people in and out.”

In addition, a store’s layout is often set up to direct customer traffic and influence their purchasing decisions. Biswas said companies with products in stores sometimes pay extra money to get their products placed in the center aisle.

“Customers are also drawn to see things in the center,” he said.

“They may not go down every

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A taste of holiday cheer n

Five festive drinks to get you in the holiday spirit.

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

By Courtney Combs L I F E S T Y L E

E D I T O R

For those over the age to 21 the holidays provide ample opportunity to indulge in a different type of spirit. Holidaythemed cocktails can be the perfect touch for a swanky Christmas party, or help ease those long visits with extended family. Here are a few tasty cocktail recipes to help make the season a little bit brighter.

Hot-Buttered Rum Ingredients: 1 stick unsalted butter 2 cups of brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ a teaspoon ground nutmeg A pinch of ground cloves A pinch of salt Dark rum Boiling water

This holiday classic has been keeping people extra toasty since the 1600s and is perfect for those mild Floridian winter nights. Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a mixer and mix until thoroughly combined. Cover the mixture and store in the fridge until firm.

When ready to serve boil a pot of water, then spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into a mug. Fill the mug about halfway with rum, top it off with boiling water and serve.

Candy Cane Cocktail Ingredients: 1 shot of vanilla rum 1 shot of white chocolate liqueur 1 shot of peppermint schnapps Peppermint sticks or minia-

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SPIRIT

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ture candy canes Candy canes are not just for decorating gingerbread houses. This minty cocktail is exceptionally easy to make and looks fantastic.

Add the liquids to a shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain it into a martini glass, garnish with a candy cane and serve.

Gluehwein Ingredients: ¾ cups of water ¾ cups of sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1 orange 10 whole cloves 1 bottle of red wine

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

This tangy German drink can really spice up the holidays. Combine the water, sugar and cinnamon stick in a saucepan, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Cut the orange in

half and squeeze the juice into the mixture. Then push the cloves into the peel of the orange and add it to the pan. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes until it thickens.

Add the wine and heat until it begins to steam.

Remove the orange and serve. For an added aesthetic garnish with orange slices.

Gluehwein can also be purchased pre-made. Simply add a few orange slices, heat and serve.

Spirited Hot Cocoa Ingredients: ½ cup of sugar 1/3 cup of baking cocoa powder 4 cups of milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 shot of marshmallow vodka Baileys This tasty winter classic can be made for all ages by leaving out the Baileys and

vodka. Combine the sugar and cocoa in a saucepan and gradually add the milk, make a paste before dumping all of the milk in to avoid chocolate lumps. Place on the stove at medium heat and stir constantly until hot.

Do not let the cocoa boil and do not stop stirring or it will burn. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour a shot or two of Baileys into a mug, top with cocoa and serve. Garnish with a fullsize candy cane for a little extra festive fun.

Eggnog Ingredients: Store bought eggnog Whiskey It’s hard to beat the classics. Eggnog is tricky to make from scratch, but easy to spike. Fill a mug roughly halfway with whiskey, top with eggnog and serve. To class it up a bit, garnish with a pinch of cinnamon or a bit of whipped cream.

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Men’s basketball

Outside shooting could be asset for Bulls

By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

S P O R T S

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E D I T O R

Though USF men’s basketball couldn’t escape Alabama with a win Tuesday night, it established perimeter shooting that has been a struggle in past seasons for the Bulls.

The Bulls hope to create that same threat from beyond the arc Saturday as they travel to take on Detroit at 3 p.m.

The Bulls finished the game shooting 6-of-12 from threepoint range while holding the Tide to just 32 percent.

USF is at Detroit (5-3) on Saturday, and senior forward Juwan Howard Jr. leads the Titans in scoring, averaging 19 points per game. The Bulls have been able to outscore their opponents in the paint in all but one game this season.

Howard may give USF junior center Jaleel Cousins some trouble down low.

The Bulls are off to a 5-2 start, with conference play around the corner, early momentum could lead to upsets down the road.

Big matchups over break With the semester coming to an end, students will head home for their winter break, but the USF men’s basketball team continues their season with some big-time matchups.

On Dec. 20, the Bulls will make the trip to Sunrise to take on FSU in the Metro PCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.

The Bulls haven’t played the Seminoles since 2007 — a

game USF won 68-67, also on a neutral site.

An NIT final four team a year ago, FSU boasts one of the tallest rosters in the country with four 7-footers. USF’s tallest player is Cousins and freshman Rueben Guerrero at 6-foot-11.

FSU holds a 20-12 series lead, but USF has won three of the past four games.

Later in the month, USF starts conference play against SMU with a New Year’s Eve matchup in Dallas.

USF has won three of the last four matchups with the Mustangs including a 78-71 win in the Sun Dome last season.

Best of the rest Following its matchup with Detroit, USF will take a week off before returning to action at home against Georgia Southern on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

This is the fifth meeting between the two schools. USF is undefeated against Georgia Southern, winning all four games by an average of 17.25 points.

The Bulls continue play on Dec. 18 against a Seton Hall — a team that USF has seen little success against.

In its 10 meeting with Seton Hall, USF has lost eight matchups including a 46-42 overtime thriller in 2013.

The Bulls will round out their winter break with games against Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 23, Bowling Green on Dec. 28, and East Carolina on Jan. 3.

Women’s basketball

Holiday home stand comes at perfect time

By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S

E D I T O R

The USF women’s basketball team will continue on its longest home stand of the season at a critical point in the schedule.

Coach Jose Fernandez said the team looked worn down and came out flat in practice Tuesday. Despite the team’s fatigue, the Bulls were able to hold off Stetson for a 78-62 win.

The Bulls will remain in Tampa until Dec. 17. Their

next opponent will be St. John’s, followed by the College of Charleston and Northern Colorado.

The time at home is much needed for the Bulls after spending nearly the entire first month of the season on the road. But even with the Bulls worn down by a tough road schedule, Fernandez said this season’s team is the deepest and most versatile he’s ever had.

USF has nine players that are currently averaging at least 14 minutes a game, with juniors Alisia Jenkins and Courtney

Williams the only two players averaging over 23 minutes (both average 32 mpg).

USF’s depth showed against Stetson, as all but one player scored and senior guard Tamara Taylor led the Bulls in scoring with 18 points, despite not starting.

Following the Bulls’ fourgame home stand, they will take the road for one game to play Penn State before returning home to begin conference play against East Carolina.

USF (6-2) will face St. John’s (6-0) on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Sun Dome.

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SHOPPING

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aisle, but go down the main aisle, so that’s more expensive.”

But at the end of these aisles are often the items with highest demand, such as daily necessities.

“Any store in the Tampa area has milk in the back in the store, so people don’t just grab the milk and leave,” Biswas said.

“The more you travel through a store, the more likely you put items in your basket that isn’t in your shopping list.”

The design doesn’t stop there, however. Items that almost nobody solely drives to the store to buy, such as gum or a magazine, are placed at the front for impulse buys.

Companies also pay stores to place items at “premium eye placement” in the aisles. Biswas said sugary cereals stand at the level of children and mascots are designed to make eye contact.

“It makes a connection,” he said. “It’s more lifelike.”

Biswas also said customers who make eye contact with mannequins outside the

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store are more likely to walk in, despite their reputation for creepiness.

One of the most powerful tools a business can use to entice sales is scarcity.

“Scarcity raises desire to get something,” Biswas said. “It’s a basic human desire going back centuries and centuries.”

There’s often consumer speculation that Apple creates false shortages whenever a new product is released to raise the desire a product, as suggested by basic supply and demand.

Biswas also said some highend stores create a waiting line outside, like exclusive clubs do, to increase a perception of prestige.

A lot of research goes into gauging customer perception, Biswas said. Experimental trial and error is combined with empirical testing, such as eyetracking devices.

Before this trend, many global companies left it to local managers to decide things such as store layout and what music is played. But now, Biswas said, companies need to start considering the unconscious experience of the customer or get left behind during shopping season.

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Tasty treats to sweeten the season

By Polly Snover C O R R E S P O N D E N T

With the opening of the holiday season, so many different cookies have appeared in store and on counter tops. There are many cookies such as sugar and gingerbread cookies, which are seen almost everywhere and sometimes all year round, but what about those forgotten cookies? Here are some cookie ideas for your next get-together.

Raspberry thumbprint cookies These delectable shortbread cookies usually have some sort of filling and in this case, that is raspberry jam. With some sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, butter, flour and of course raspberry filling, one can make a cookie as sweet as any candy cane. Just put them

in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and put in your raspberry filling. There is always the option that one can replace the raspberry with any jam of their choice.

Mincemeat squares Despite what their title suggests, mincemeat does not contain any meat, instead this sweet filling consists of sugar, spices and some dried fruits such as figs. To make mincemeat squares, simply pour a thin layer of the mincemeat filling, found at any grocery store, over the pie crust and cover with another crust then bake at 325 degrees for 20 or 30 minutes. A great way to make it even sweeter is to make a sugar glaze to cover it.

This dessert is all in how sweet you like your treats.

Stuffed dates with peanut butter

Another fruity concoction that is perfect for holiday gettogethers, this is one of the simplest treats to make with just a package of pitted dates from the store and some peanut butter, almond butter if one is allergic to peanuts. Just slice the date and spoon in your filling then roll them in some powdered sugar and the treat is complete.

Meringues They may seem like an allyear type of treat but one can easily switch meringues to have a holiday flair. All it takes is a little green food dye added to your meringue and some candies. The recipe consists of four egg whites, some cream of tartar, almond extract and green food coloring beat together until nice and foamy. The next part involves piping the meringue into any shape you chose such

as a wreath or Christmas tree.

Add some candies after baking to make some delicious ornaments and it’s finished. This is the prefect decorative treat that might even pass as an ornament itself.

Plum-almond kuchen roll This treat might be familiar to some as a German treat seen around the holidays. This treat involves ingredients that might be seen in the average kitchen such as eggs, both granulated and brown sugar, milk, flour, yeast, salt, butter, chopped plums and almonds.

This takes a little more cooking, but is well worth the effort. This delicious treat is prefect for impressing friends and family and a good way to show off those baking skills.

No need to “forget” your dessert on the table, this roll is nothing to be ashamed of.

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