Closing Time Effect Theory

Researchers are looking into the Closing Time Effect which is the phenomenon that explains the increase in attractiveness throughout the course of a night out. In this study, researchers went to the same Sydney pub on four consecutive nights. They started with a sample of 166 participants that were then narrowed down based on factors in a baseline questionnaire such as drug use that day or an unclear relationship status. As the study was trying to look at this effect as it relates to those in a relationship and those not, an unclear relationship status could cause inconsistencies in the responses of the participants. Participants were also excluded from the trial if they were unable to stay for its entirety, from 9pm to 12am. After the baseline questionnaire, participants were asked to rate attractiveness of the other participants on a 1 to 5 scale, their Blood …show more content…
The Reactance Theory explains this effect by saying that it is the natural response to the threat of running out of time to finding a companion for the night. This theory is the least likely explanation as it would not affect those subjects who identified themselves as in a relationship. Another theory they identified is the Mere Exposure Theory which states that subjects get more attractive with familiarity based on unconscious recognition. While this may be a possibility, I feel the theory that best explains the Closing Time Effect is the Commodity Theory. This states that as scarcity of a commodity decreases, the attractiveness of the commodity increases. As with many of the original subjects, many people leave the bar before closing time, creating this scarcity. Because this theory does not imply the intentions of leaving with someone, it would explain the consistent results from those in and out of