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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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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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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.
    3. Thi Cam Tu Dinh & Mengqi Wang & Yoonjae Lee, 2023. "How Does the Fear of Missing Out Moderate the Effect of Social Media Influencers on Their Followers’ Purchase Intention?," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    4. Lim, Weng Marc & Phang, Cynthia Su Chen & Lim, Ai Ling, 2020. "The effects of possession- and social inclusion-defined materialism on consumer behavior toward economical versus luxury product categories, goods versus services product types, and individual versus ," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    5. Ahmet Ekici & M. Joseph Sirgy & Dong-Jin Lee & Grace B. Yu & Michael Bosnjak, 2018. "The Effects of Shopping Well-Being and Shopping Ill-Being on Consumer Life Satisfaction," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(2), pages 333-353, June.
    6. 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.
    7. Schalembier, Benjamin & Bleys, Brent & Van Ootegem, Luc & Verhofstadt, Elsy, 2020. "How the income of others affects the life satisfaction of materialists," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 64-74.
    8. Derek Moscato & Toby Hopp, 2019. "Natural born cynics? The role of personality characteristics in consumer skepticism of corporate social responsibility behaviors," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 26-37, February.

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