Beyond The Purchase
The relationships people build through shared experiences are more important than the experience itself. This study shows that at lower price points, people pay more attention to what’s important - sharing the experience with others.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 23, 2012
If you had some extra money to spend, which do you think would make you happier: a series of small, inexpensive purchases or one large, expensive purchase? People are usually split fairly evenly on this question, but researchers at BeyondThePurchase.org are beginning to discover the answer.
The research website asked 164 participants to rank a series of commonly purchased experiences in order of preference. The purchases varied according to the type of experience, the price, and the people with whom they would share the experience.
Statistical analysis showed that when considering inexpensive experiences, people’s main concern was with whom they would share the experience, preferring to do them with friends rather than family. For more luxurious experiences people were most concerned with the money they spent and the type of experience, while placing little importance on who accompanied them for the experience.
The researchers concluded that inexpensive purchases might make people happier because they encourage people to focus on relationships, rather than money or prestige.
“In terms of happiness, the relationships people build through shared experiences are more important than the experience itself” said Graham Hill, Community Manager of BeyondThePurchase.org. “This study shows that at lower price points, people pay more attention to what’s important - sharing the experience with others.”
So for your next vacation, while it’s easy to be lured by the glamour of big-ticket purchases, this research suggests that taking in a few movies or nice meals with family and friends may end up being just as satisfying as a week-long getaway to Paris.
Help us find out what most people prefer by participating in our research at Beyond the Purchase. Just register and then take our Implicit Buying Motives Study. You might then try the Transformation Expectations Questionnaire, which measures the ways you hope your purchases will transform your life. Along the way, we think you’ll find out a bit more about why you buy and what makes you happy.