The effect of material and experiential consumption on goal pursuit
研究发现,体验消费激发内在动机,使后续反馈不影响行为;而物质消费激发外在动机,负面反馈反而促使人更努力追求目标。
Abstract Previous research predominately focuses on the negative aspects of material consumption. Thus, the primary purpose of this current research is to investigate the potential upside of material consumption on consumers' goal pursuit. Specifically, four studies show that whether individuals have recently engaged in experiential or material consumption determines how feedback about their performance in a later goal‐directed activity influences their goal‐relevant behavior. Experiential consumption triggers individuals' intrinsic motivation and focuses their attention on their enjoyment of engaging in an activity rather than the outcomes that result from doing so. Consequently, the feedback they receive about their performance in one task has little effect on their behavior in conceptually related situations. By contrast, the extrinsic motivation activated by material consumption leads individuals to use the feedback as an indication of the quality of their performance, motivating them to work harder on a later goal‐directed activity if the feedback they received was negative. Field studies confirm the implications of these findings in actual consumption situations.