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Materialism, Spending, and Affect: An Event-Sampling Study of Marketplace Behavior and Its Affective Costs

Author

Listed:
  • Kirk Warren Brown

    (Virginia Commonwealth University)

  • Tim Kasser

    (Knox College)

  • Richard M. Ryan

    (Australian Catholic University
    University of Rochester)

  • James Konow

    (Kiel University
    Loyola Marymount University)

Abstract

Research on materialism has burgeoned in the last two decades, yet little is known about how people higher versus lower in this consumer values orientation differ in their day-to-day spending habits and in their emotional reactions to spending on purchases. The present study used an event-sampling method over a 3-week period to address these questions in a community adult sample. Results showed that over the course of the sampling period, high materialists made more discretionary purchases and spent more money on necessity purchases than did those lower in materialism, even though their incomes did not differ. Despite higher levels of spending, high materialists experienced a “letdown” after spending, as they reported more post-purchase unpleasant affect than did low materialists. This result was not moderated by level of dispositional unpleasant affect, purchase type, or purchase amounts.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirk Warren Brown & Tim Kasser & Richard M. Ryan & James Konow, 2016. "Materialism, Spending, and Affect: An Event-Sampling Study of Marketplace Behavior and Its Affective Costs," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2277-2292, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:17:y:2016:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-015-9694-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-015-9694-9
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    2. Jaspers, Esther, 2018. "Opening up on consumer materialism," Other publications TiSEM a21cb1c8-5af1-46cc-9ea0-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
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    7. Kappes, Heather Barry & Gladstone, Joe J. & Hershfield, Hal H., 2020. "Beliefs about whether spending implies wealth," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107482, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Bruce Headey & Gert G. Wagner, 2019. "One Size Does Not Fit All: Alternative Values-Based ‘Recipes’ for Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 581-613, September.

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