Want to be Comfortable with Your Student Seating Choice? Choose University Loft.

There was an interesting article recently on Odewire.com, titled “Hidden Persuaders”. In the article, writer Jeremy Mercer described a 2009 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study that made me think of University Loft and the student seating ULoft produces for hundreds of colleges and universities across America and around the world. Here’s what the study involved:

University Loft's Two-Position Chair Keeps College Students in the Comfort ZoneStudents (ULoft’s favorite people, next to student furniture buyers, that is) were seated in an office, shown a new car and told to get the best price. After the back-and-forth of offers and counter-offers, the students left the study setting thinking it had been a “straightforward exercise in negotiation.” Wrong. The study had actually been designed to determine “if people could be unconsciously influenced through their use of touch.” How does that involve University Loft?

Turns out half of the students in the study were seated on hard chairs (no padding or cushions); the other half had comfier, cushioned seating. The study showed that the students on the hard seating were firmer and more resolute in their negotiations, offering, on average $347 less than their more comfortable counterparts to purchase the car. The “hard chair effect”, therefore, apparently demonstrates that the “physical sensation of hardness triggers concepts of stability” and confidence.

The good news for college residence life student furniture buyers is that no matter the situation (on campus or in off-campus student housing), University Loft has the perfect student seating alternatives, including our Two-Position Chair.

What’s the, um, bottom line? Hard or soft, wood seat or upholstered, student seating from University Loft is always just right.

One more word of advice: the next time a car salesman offers you a cushioned chair, opt for the hard-surfaced one instead. It could save you hundreds!

Bob

The ULoft Blog Team

About University Loft Company and our solid wood modular residence life furniture:

Since 1984, when James Jannetides built a loft configuration for his own dorm room at Southern Illinois University, hundreds of thousands of college students have enjoyed better campus living thanks to University Loft furniture. Today, University Loft serves more than 1,200 colleges, universities and related student housing partners. As Jannetides’ says: “We are always learning, always innovating, and always improving … our environment, our products, and our service. We are University Loft Company.”

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