On Southbound Ease and Northbound Fees: Literal Consequences of the Metaphoric Link between Vertical Position and Cardinal Direction

Abstract

Consumers are influenced by the metaphoric relationship between cardinal direction and vertical position (i.e., “north is up”). People believe that it will take longer to travel north than south (Study 1), that it will cost more to ship to a northern than to a southern location (Studies 2 and 6), and that a moving company will charge more (Studies 3a and 3b) for northward than for southward movement. Furthermore, people have greater intention to visit stores advertised to be south (versus north) of a reference point (Study 4), especially when ease of travel is important (Study 5).