SF State
study suggests consumer motivation affects happiness gained from experiential
purchases
(June 18, 2012) Spending money on activities and events, such as
concert tickets or exotic vacations, won't make you happier if you're doing it
to impress others, according to findings published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
Research
has shown that consumers gain greater happiness from buying life experiences
rather than material possessions, but only if they choose experiences for the
right reasons says the new study.
"Why
you buy is just as important as what you buy," said Ryan Howell, assistant
professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. "When people
buy life experiences to impress others, it wipes out the well-being they
receive from the purchase. That extrinsic motivation appears to undermine how
the experiential purchase meets their key psychological needs."