Hungry for the money: The desire for caloric resources increases the desire for financial resources and vice versa

Abstract

We propose that people’s desire for money is a modern derivative of their evolved desire for food. In three studies we show the reciprocity between the incentive value of food and money. In Study 1, hungry participants were less likely to donate to charity than satiated participants. In Study 2, an olfactory food cue, known to increase the desire to eat, made participants offer less money in an economic game compared to participants in a room free of scent. In Study 3, the respondents’ desire for money affected the amount of candy eaten in a subsequent taste test, but only for dietary-unrestrained participants.