A new study has found that shoppers, whether they buy material items or life experiences, are no happier following the purchase than they were before.
According to the study from San Francisco State University, certain material buyers who tend to purchase material goods may not experience greater happiness.
Ryan Howell, an associate professor of psychology at SF State and co-author of the study, said that everyone believes that spending money on life experiences will make them happier, but there study has revealed that it isn't always the case.
He said that extremely material buyers, who represent about a third of the overall population, are sort of stuck. They're not really happy with either purchase.
The study has found that when material buyers purchase life experiences, they are no happier because the purchase is likely out of line with their personality and values, but if they spend on material items, they are not better off either, because others may criticize or look down upon their choices.
The study will be published in Journal of Research in Personality.
