Business Insider: More Proof That Money Can't Buy Happiness
"... University of Missouri Marketing
Professor Marsha Richins looks at this phenomenon in a new paper in the Journal of Consumer Research,
"When Wanting Is Better Than Having," where she compares high- and
low-materialist shoppers. "High-materialist" consumers have much higher
expectations of what a product will do for their overall happiness,
which is why positive emotions peak and then fall again after a
purchase.
According to research, materialists are "more likely to believe that acquisition will change the kind of person they are, improve their relationships with others, enable them to have more pleasure in their lives, and enhance the effectiveness with which they carry out daily tasks." They also experience "more negative emotions, such as anxiety, fear, and envy." ...
