So its true? A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests that shopping can actually reduce our sadness. Sadness is strongly associated with a sense that situational forces control the outcomes in ones life. Thus shopping, by restoring control over ones situation, can reduce sadness. Of course, its hard to pinpoint a universal definition of sadness; for some people, sadness means lack of control, but for others, it might stem from something else entirely. But the new study has previous findings on its side, like a 2011 paper that argued that shopping has lasting positive impacts on mood and that the consumption of self-treats can be strategically motivated. However numerous counter-studies have shown that shopping is a stressor, intensifying the effects of stress particularly in materialistic people. A 2011 report found that those who pursue material possessions tend to be less satisfied and experience fewer positive emotions every day. And a HuffPost survey found that people who are stress-shoppers also tend to be stress-eaters and stress-exercisers i.e. people who default toward the flight side of fight vs. flight and distance themselves from stress with unrelated activities rather than facing it head-on. So does shopping makes us happier or sadder? If anything, were just more confused.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 03:59:03 +0000
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