1:46pm UK, Wednesday September 17, 2003

Couples who go shopping together should only do so for 72 minutes or risk an argument, according to researchers.

Men have lower shopping threshold

That's the point at which men reach breaking point, but women can go for a further 28 minutes.

A report suggests that shopping couples are prone to rows because of different primeval instincts which affect the way they shop.

Most male shoppers are defined as "hunters" because they go with the intention of buying specific items and tend to be incisive.

Women are generally categorised at "gatherers" who treat bargain hunting as a "discovery", the report says.

Hunter and gatherers

The author of the report, Dr Tim Denison, says the solution to happy shopping is for the "gatherer" to continue shopping without the "hunter".

Researchers at Exeter University studied the shopping habits of 60 volunteers.

Each person was asked to go shopping in search of what they considered a bargain.

The definition of a bargain differs depending on the individual, says the report.

One important factor is the "perceived cost saving", or what the shopper expects to pay for an item before they step into the shop.

Bargain joy

The other element, according to the study, is how much the person wants the item they are buying - described as the "level of desire".

The 60 subjects were each fitted with a heart rate monitor to detect changes in their physical state when they found their bargain.

Shoppers in the "hunter" category experienced a quick peak in their heart rate followed by a sudden drop.

Those classed as "gatherers" also experienced a rise in heart rate which stayed at the same level for at least 15 minutes after finding a bargain.