Happiness in a material world
A weekend getaway or a new pair of shoes? You’ll get a bigger trip from the trip, but the kicks from your new kicks will last longer, UBC researchers say. In one study, 67 students received $20 to spend on either an experience or an object. In a second, 81 undergrads reported on either an experience or an object they received as a Christmas gift. Recording their emotions over a two-week period, the students reported that material objects brought repeated smaller doses of happiness over a longer period, while experiences provided a more intense but short-lived dose of happiness.