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Subjective Well-Being Enhances Experiential Perceptions
Hyewon Oh1, Joseph K Goodman2, Dan R Schley3
1Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|March 31, 2026
Summary
Higher well-being leads people to perceive products and purchases as more experiential. This suggests a positive cycle where experiences boost well-being, and well-being enhances appreciation for experiential aspects of goods.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Consumer Behavior
- Well-being Research
Background:
- The experiential advantage highlights the greater well-being derived from experiences compared to material possessions.
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of this advantage is crucial for consumer psychology and well-being studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether psychological well-being predicts the tendency to perceive purchases and products as experiential.
- To explore the relationship between trait and state well-being and experiential perceptions.
Main Methods:
- Five studies were conducted with participants from Asia and North America.
- Employed both trait (dispositional) and state (momentary) measures of well-being.
- Utilized controlled experimental designs and correlational analyses.
Main Results:
- Individuals with higher trait well-being consistently viewed purchases as more experiential.
- Momentary well-being, whether naturally occurring or experimentally induced, positively influenced experiential perceptions.
- The effect was specific to the experiential qualities of products, not their material attributes, and strongly linked to positive affect.
Conclusions:
- Well-being appears to orient individuals towards the experiential, need-satisfying aspects of products.
- Findings suggest a self-reinforcing cycle where experiences enhance well-being, which in turn increases the focus on experiential consumption, potentially further boosting well-being.
Keywords:
experiencesexperiential and material productslife satisfactionpositive affectsubjective well-beingMore Related Videos
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