Meaning-augmentation motive: Valuing meaning in life facilitates preference for experiential over material purchases

초록

What do people do when they want to live a meaningful life? Despite the importance of meaning in life (MIL), empirical research has yet to seek answers to this basic question. In the present research, three studies examined the hypothesis that experiential purchases are preferred over material purchases when people value meaning. Study 1 demonstrated that participants perceived experiential purchases to be more instrumental for finding MIL compared to material purchases, and this perception was more pronounced among those who value meaning. Study 2 used a small-scale longitudinal study and found that personal value of meaning positively predicted preference for experiential purchase over time. Finally, Study 3 employed an intervention method and revealed that participants induced to value meaning preferred experiential purchases and were motivated to augment MIL. These findings provide an important insight into understanding the motivational underpinnings of existential search and the perceived existential value of experiential purchases.

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