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Materialistic versus Esperiential people
Materialistic People Liked Less by Peers Than 'Experiential' People
ScienceDaily (Apr. 16, 2010) — People who pursue happiness through material possessions are liked less by their peers than people who pursue happiness through life experiences, according to a new study led by University of Colorado at Boulder psychology Professor Leaf Van Boven.
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Van Boven has spent a decade studying the social costs and benefits of pursuing happiness through the acquisition of life experiences such as traveling and going to concerts versus the purchase of material possessions like fancy cars and jewelry.
"We have found that material possessions don't provide as much enduring happiness as the pursuit of life experiences," Van Boven said.
The "take home" message in his most recent study, which appears in this month's edition of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, is that not only will investing in material possessions make us less happy than investing in life experiences, but that it often makes us less popular among our peers as well.
"The mistake we can sometimes make is believing that pursuing material possessions will gain us status and admiration while also improving our social relationships," Van Boven said. "In fact, it seems to have exactly the opposite effect. This is really problematic because we know that having quality social relationships is one of the best predictors of happiness, health and well-being.
"So for many of us we should rethink these decisions that we might make in terms of pursuing material possessions versus life experiences," he said. "Trying to have a happier life by the acquisition of material possessions is probably not a very wise decision."
CU-Boulder marketing Professor Margaret Campbell and Cornell University Professor Thomas Gilovich were co-authors on the study.
Past studies have found that people who are materialistic tend to have lower quality social relationships. They also have fewer and less satisfying friendships.
In the recent study, Van Boven and his colleagues conducted five experiments with undergraduate students and through a national survey. They sought to find out if people had unfavorable stereotypes of materialistic people and to see if these stereotypes led them to like the materialistic people less than those who pursued life experiences.
In one experiment undergraduates who didn't know each other were randomly paired up and assigned to discuss either a material possession or a life experience they had purchased and were happy with. After talking for 15 or 20 minutes they were then asked about their conversation partners by the researchers.
"What we found was that people who had discussed their material possessions liked their conversation partner less than those who had discussed an experience they had purchased," Van Boven said. "They also were less interested in forming a friendship with them, so there's a real social cost to being associated with material possessions rather than life experiences."
In another experiment using a national survey, the researchers told people about someone who had purchased a material item such as a new shirt or a life experience like a concert ticket. They then asked them a number of questions about that person. They found that simply learning that someone made a material purchase caused them to like him or her less than learning that someone made an experiential purchase.
"We have pretty negative stereotypes of people who are materialistic," Van Boven said. "When we asked people to think of someone who is materialistic and describe their personality traits, selfish and self-centered come up pretty frequently. However, when we asked people to describe someone who is more experiential in nature, things like altruistic, friendly and outgoing come up much more frequently."
So what do you do if you're somebody who really likes to buy lots of material possessions?
"The short answer is you should try to change," Van Boven said. "Not just our research, but a lot of other research has found that people who are materialistic incur many mental health costs and social costs -- they're less happy and more prone to depression."
Van Boven says one thing you can do is choose to be around people who are less interested in material goods.
"It's not a quick fix, but it can be done," he said. "I think what makes it particularly challenging is that it requires some extra effort and mindfulness about the way we make decisions about how to be happy in life."
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ScienceDaily (Apr. 16, 2010) — People who pursue happiness through material possessions are liked less by their peers than people who pursue happiness through life experiences, according to a new study led by University of Colorado at Boulder psychology Professor Leaf Van Boven.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Van Boven has spent a decade studying the social costs and benefits of pursuing happiness through the acquisition of life experiences such as traveling and going to concerts versus the purchase of material possessions like fancy cars and jewelry.
"We have found that material possessions don't provide as much enduring happiness as the pursuit of life experiences," Van Boven said.
The "take home" message in his most recent study, which appears in this month's edition of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, is that not only will investing in material possessions make us less happy than investing in life experiences, but that it often makes us less popular among our peers as well.
"The mistake we can sometimes make is believing that pursuing material possessions will gain us status and admiration while also improving our social relationships," Van Boven said. "In fact, it seems to have exactly the opposite effect. This is really problematic because we know that having quality social relationships is one of the best predictors of happiness, health and well-being.
"So for many of us we should rethink these decisions that we might make in terms of pursuing material possessions versus life experiences," he said. "Trying to have a happier life by the acquisition of material possessions is probably not a very wise decision."
CU-Boulder marketing Professor Margaret Campbell and Cornell University Professor Thomas Gilovich were co-authors on the study.
Past studies have found that people who are materialistic tend to have lower quality social relationships. They also have fewer and less satisfying friendships.
In the recent study, Van Boven and his colleagues conducted five experiments with undergraduate students and through a national survey. They sought to find out if people had unfavorable stereotypes of materialistic people and to see if these stereotypes led them to like the materialistic people less than those who pursued life experiences.
In one experiment undergraduates who didn't know each other were randomly paired up and assigned to discuss either a material possession or a life experience they had purchased and were happy with. After talking for 15 or 20 minutes they were then asked about their conversation partners by the researchers.
"What we found was that people who had discussed their material possessions liked their conversation partner less than those who had discussed an experience they had purchased," Van Boven said. "They also were less interested in forming a friendship with them, so there's a real social cost to being associated with material possessions rather than life experiences."
In another experiment using a national survey, the researchers told people about someone who had purchased a material item such as a new shirt or a life experience like a concert ticket. They then asked them a number of questions about that person. They found that simply learning that someone made a material purchase caused them to like him or her less than learning that someone made an experiential purchase.
"We have pretty negative stereotypes of people who are materialistic," Van Boven said. "When we asked people to think of someone who is materialistic and describe their personality traits, selfish and self-centered come up pretty frequently. However, when we asked people to describe someone who is more experiential in nature, things like altruistic, friendly and outgoing come up much more frequently."
So what do you do if you're somebody who really likes to buy lots of material possessions?
"The short answer is you should try to change," Van Boven said. "Not just our research, but a lot of other research has found that people who are materialistic incur many mental health costs and social costs -- they're less happy and more prone to depression."
Van Boven says one thing you can do is choose to be around people who are less interested in material goods.
"It's not a quick fix, but it can be done," he said. "I think what makes it particularly challenging is that it requires some extra effort and mindfulness about the way we make decisions about how to be happy in life."
Email or share this story:| More
Hello. This touches on many subjects, especially that of being giving to others. In my journey, I have found that the greatest rewards are proportional to how much I sacrifice. I can also understand how a materialistic viewpoint can be unappealing, as it focuses more on things attained through wealth, as opposed to those that can't be bought at any price. A car or home will eventually become outdated, friendships can last a lifetime, and love can last forever. GM
:-) That is a good way to phrase it.
I think when a person goes through an experience all sorts of notes are reached in creating the song....where as with possessions, one is by-passing the depth and tone and all that makes a song a song to have the shell of the song.
There is a different appreciation to things when there is more attention paid to it and less of it....just a view-point.
I went through this many years ago with books...always wanted my own library from childhood on.....ended up with 1,000's of books by 21....most I wasn't reading. I realized my "collector" status....later questioned the "obession" status. Let's say that after starting into the field of caregiving and going through taking care of someone through a 2 yr. period and being there with them in the hospital when they died, my whole view of life changed as to the importance of things.
For some reason, it was different than when I was a teenager and my Grandma died. I wasn't there when she died. With this person, I was dedicated, had been credited for them living as long as they did by the excellent care I gave, had been nominated for caregiver of the year...etc., etc. But when I saw the struggle to bring them back and then having to let go.....the experience brought me to a deep and profound struggle with God about why we have such short lives and why we suffer like that.
I cried and cried...end results were I went home and gave away over 1/2 of my books and clothes and other possessions.
Had I of not gone through what I did, the end results would not have happened.
That is what the experience means to me. I now refere to "giving away" experiences as "purging"....a sort of blood-letting.
I think when a person goes through an experience all sorts of notes are reached in creating the song....where as with possessions, one is by-passing the depth and tone and all that makes a song a song to have the shell of the song.
There is a different appreciation to things when there is more attention paid to it and less of it....just a view-point.
I went through this many years ago with books...always wanted my own library from childhood on.....ended up with 1,000's of books by 21....most I wasn't reading. I realized my "collector" status....later questioned the "obession" status. Let's say that after starting into the field of caregiving and going through taking care of someone through a 2 yr. period and being there with them in the hospital when they died, my whole view of life changed as to the importance of things.
For some reason, it was different than when I was a teenager and my Grandma died. I wasn't there when she died. With this person, I was dedicated, had been credited for them living as long as they did by the excellent care I gave, had been nominated for caregiver of the year...etc., etc. But when I saw the struggle to bring them back and then having to let go.....the experience brought me to a deep and profound struggle with God about why we have such short lives and why we suffer like that.
I cried and cried...end results were I went home and gave away over 1/2 of my books and clothes and other possessions.
Had I of not gone through what I did, the end results would not have happened.
That is what the experience means to me. I now refere to "giving away" experiences as "purging"....a sort of blood-letting.
A simile crops up. “Helicoptering” to the top of the mountain and climbing the top of the mountain. Both are reaching: One is achievement, fulfillment, development, and satisfaction and the other is just casual.
:-) This is terrific.....first thought for me after reading was...."Surprise, surprise...I wonder why"....lol!
Experiential is filling up the heart/mind and soul....
Materialism is filling up the home, 2nd home, 3rd home.....
One builds up, the other never truly fills up but like a pocket with holes....goes right through...no real satisfaction.
For that, we need experts...lol!
Love it!!!!
Experiential is filling up the heart/mind and soul....
Materialism is filling up the home, 2nd home, 3rd home.....
One builds up, the other never truly fills up but like a pocket with holes....goes right through...no real satisfaction.
For that, we need experts...lol!
Love it!!!!
If the science starts proving spirituality then it is peobabe the scince will become more spirutal tha spirituality itself.
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