Money Psychology Archives - Page 10 of 11

Recession Promotes Family Time Over Shopping

Jennifer Lance, writing in the January 7th Eco Child’s Play, calls our attention to a positive (and somewhat unexpected) consequence of the economic downturn. She cites a New York Times and CBS News poll which found that “more Americans are spending more time with family and friends and less time shopping during the recession.” The… Continue reading Recession Promotes Family Time Over Shopping

Weighing-In (Part 2)

We may think our wants equal our needs. In other words, that we just have to have a certain pair of shoes or gadget to be happy, successful, etc. While this can seem simple when we’re talking about basic needs like shelter and food, it can get murky when we’re looking at other items. Here’s an… Continue reading Weighing-In (Part 2)

Continued Media Focus on Compulsive Shopping

Compulsive shopping is pretty much out of the closet now, with continuing treatment in television, film, and print. Here are four recent examples of note: “The Bank of Mom and Dad,” a BBC show that begins airing on SOAPnet September 30th, is “reality programming as a financial-makeover show.” In each episode, a young woman in… Continue reading Continued Media Focus on Compulsive Shopping

Use Your Emotions and Intellect to Access “True Wealth”: A Crisis Is a Terrible Thing To Waste (Part V)

In this series of posts, we’ve been exploring ways to seize the opportunity that the economic crisis emotions and intellect presents to overshoppers. Even before the downturn, of course, most compulsive buyers found themselves in a financial squeeze. But the new economic realities—the slashed value of retirement accounts, the credit crunch, the mortgage debacle, and… Continue reading Use Your Emotions and Intellect to Access “True Wealth”: A Crisis Is a Terrible Thing To Waste (Part V)

Consumer Behavior: Messages into the Void?

Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior (Viking, 2009) . An old philosopher’s question asks: “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one to hear it, does it make a sound?” An updated version, tongue-in-cheek, is this: “If a man speaks in the forest and there’s no woman to hear him, is he still… Continue reading Consumer Behavior: Messages into the Void?

Women’s Spending Behavior Linked to Their Menstrual Cycles

In a study that applies to some 40% of all overshoppers, spending behavior has been demonstrably linked to menstrual cycles. Professor Karen Pine, of the University of Hertfordshire, presented “Sheconomics: Why Women’s Emotions Cost Them Money” at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in April. Specifically, her study looked at 322 pre-menopausal women not using… Continue reading Women’s Spending Behavior Linked to Their Menstrual Cycles

Making Less, Spending More: What’s Wrong with this Picture?

In a Washington Post article earlier this year, Michael Fletcher pointed to some disturbing facts about the direction of the middle class economy. At the heart of the matter is a curious reversal: although the typical American family now earns less than it did seven years ago, its rate of consumption has increased significantly. Median… Continue reading Making Less, Spending More: What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Does Money Make us Independent, Indifferent, or Stingy?

A recently published behavioral study ties together nine experiments, each one designed to test the effect of money consciousness on some aspect of social behavior. Using random samples of students and non-students at three universities in different parts of the country, the experimenters divided their subjects into two groups. One group was “money primed,” subtly… Continue reading Does Money Make us Independent, Indifferent, or Stingy?

Category: Money Psychology