The very presence of shopping pals may also be associated with
apprehension. The presence of others who evaluate the observed
person increases feelings of uneasiness, such as being ridiculed or
even being laughed at). When consumers feel they are evaluated, their
level of apprehension may increase because of the fear of being
judged. Effects of such as apprehension have been shown by: when close to other shoppers, people purchase more expensive batteries than when shopping alone (in which case they bought cheaper batteries).However, the opposite was also found: the presence of shopping pals may reduce the risk perceived by the other shopper In addition, it may increase the buyer's confidence that a wise purchase decision was made