ABSTRACT
A typical day can involve home, work, perhaps shopping, eating out, driving, and then returning home. During the first visit to an establishment or the first time we take a new route to a destination, our senses are acutely tuned to the environment, gathering as much information as possible in order to safely accomplish our mission. Available cues make the mission pleasant, difficult, or something in between, and may dictate whether we enthusiastically patronize an establishment, tolerate it, or never return. For example, you have extra time running errands Saturday afternoon and decide to venture into that specialty food store you pass all the time. You hold preconceived notions that the products are out of your price range and you will feel out of place, but once you enter, your mindset begins to change. The interior is pleasant, with generous aisles and a high, sky-lighted ceiling flooding the space with natural light. Ah, the atmosphere fills your senses with delight; you see products that arouse your curiosity, and you explore the open-market-style layout. The staff are friendly and informative, the prices reasonable; you put a few items in your basket and then check out, feeling that you fit right in! As you drive away, you say, “Why didn’t I go there before? I think I just met my new best friend!”
