Overdoing it a bit? This professor’s class examines the psychology of overconsumption

Shop ‘till you drop may not apply to e-shopping.

Apparently U.S. consumers still prefer -- and will pay more -- for goods they can touch and feel, according to a CalTech study released in September. But some shoppers might get touchy about too much touching. A Los Angeles Times story points out that one expert “agrees that shoppers do feel more connected with products after touching them, but says they usually dig deep into the sweater pile to avoid buying one that’s been touched by strangers.”

But does how we shop really matter?

Whether it’s at the mall or at the computer, Connecticut psychology professor Gayle Besenoff says Americans shop too much and consume too much. “We overdo pretty much everything,” Bessenoff says in a Hartford Courant story about a new course she’s teaching called “The Psychology of Overconsumption.” “There’s something about the American Dream that leads to overdoing everything.”