If you're happy, do you buy stuff? The predictive power of subjective well-being over material purchases

Abstract

The present study aimed to test the explanatory power of subjective well-being, personality, and sociodemographic variables on material shopping preferences. An online questionnaire was applied to 1,238 Brazilian adults, with a mean age of 34.6 years (SD = 13.3), 69.1% of whom were women. The sample included respondents from all regions of Brazil, with the majority from the Southeast. The Life Satisfaction, of Positive and Negative Affect -PANAS-, Short Affect Intensity -SAIS-Brasil- and Reduced Personality Descriptors -RED5- scales were applied. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the higher the perceived family income and extroversion, the less likely individuals are to choose material products. On the other hand, as age and the Serenity dimension of affective intensity are higher, the chances of individuals choosing material products in a spontaneous purchase increase. The definitions of experiential and material purchase presented in the literature are discussed. For the subjective well-being literature, the findings add insights regarding the role of happiness in individuals' routine choices. The study also brings up the crucial point that frequency of affect apparently does not predict the outcome variable, removing from emotions a burden of responsibility on some purchases, and opening the way for further work to corroborate or refute the findings. This research extends the understanding of individual differences in purchase behaviors and the role of subjective well-being on consumption.