Misery is not miserly: Sad and self-focused individuals spend more
Cryder, Lerner, Gross and Dahl examined whether sad people pay more for a product. The effect appeared only when self-focus was high, and at high levels self-focus accounted for the link between sadness and spending. The study used real goods and real money, and the authors drew on the idea of the material self.
Cryder, Lerner, Gross and Dahl examined whether sad people pay more for a product. The effect appeared only when self-focus was high, and at high levels self-focus accounted for the link between sadness and spending. The study used real goods and real money, and the authors drew on the idea of the material self.
Written from the abstract summary via Washington University profile record, 2026-11-03; full text not read.
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Cryder, C. E., Lerner, J. S., Gross, J. J., & Dahl, R. E. (2008). Misery is not miserly: Sad and self-focused individuals spend more. Psychological Science, 19(6), 525-530. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02118.x https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02118.x