Exploring the psychology of Black Friday

People look forward to Black Friday every year.

Doctors say there are a lot of psychological factors at play on Black Friday – like a person’s fear of missing out.

The busiest shopping day of the year can also bring out the worst in some people.

You’ve likely seen video of the fights caught on camera we see around this time.

Dr. Matthew Sacco with Cleveland Clinic says he believes that kind of behavior happens as a result of the primal side of our brains.

“There’s a certain level of anonymity that they believe that they have in that process as well, where, you know, if I am with a hundred, two hundred, or three hundred other people rushing through the door, no one is going to know that it’s me. It’s not a conscious thought necessarily, but you get wrapped up in that group mentality, and you know it can happen very easily,” explained Sacco.

If you wind up buying something you really didn’t need – don’t beat yourself up. Sacco suggests going shopping with a buddy, a budget and a plan to help avoid that.