The questionnaire you completed is designed to uncover how subtle differences in the features of leisure activities influence what you choose.

Each of the 8 options you ranked presented a different combination of activities, prices, and people you would be with. By examining how you ranked the 8 options, we are able to measure the degree to which each of these three elements (item, price, companions) influences your spending decisions.

Card #1: Spa vs. Nature Retreat

In this case, our primary interest was to know whether your choices reflect a preference for spending money to be with family or by yourself. The graph shows your score on the "By yourself" and "With family" preferences in green, compared to the average of males in brown and females in orange who have taken this scale.




Higher scores on the scales indicate your preference for enjoying these types of experiences either alone or with family. By comparing your scores to the average you can learn more about the social aspect of your purchase choices relative to others.

Research has shown that spending money on experiences that can be shared with others leads to greater well-being than enjoying experiences alone. To learn more about the types of purchases you prefer, take the Experiential Buying Scale.


Card #2: Dining vs. Shopping

In this case, our primary interest was to know whether your choices reflect a preference for spending money on material items versus experiences. The graph shows your score on the "Dining" (Experiential) and "Shopping" (Material) preference in green, compared to the average of males in brown and females in orange who have taken this scale.






Higher scores on the scales indicate your preference for purchasing material objects versus purchasing experiences. By comparing your scores to the average person you can learn more about the types of purchases you prefer relative to others.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that spending money on life events and activities (such as concert tickets, travel, outdoor activities, etc.) makes people happier than spending money on material items. To learn more about the types of purchases you prefer, take the Materialistic Values Scale.


Card #3: Paris vs. Washington D.C.

In this case, our primary interest was to know whether your choices reflect a preference for spending more or less money on big ticket items (1-week vacations). The graph shows your score on the "Spending $2500" and "Spending $4000" preference in green, compared to the average of males in brown and females in orange who have taken this scale.






Higher scores on the Spending $2500 scale indicate that lower prices are important to you when making big ticket purchases, while higher scores on the Spending $4000 scale indicate that price is less of a factor in your purchasing decisions. By comparing your scores to the average person you can learn more about the importance of price in your purchase choices relative to others.

Research has shown that people who track and monitor their spending habits are happier than those who do not. To learn more about your spending habits, take the Money Management Scale and the Financial Well-being Scale.

If you have feedback, we would love to hear from you. Also, if you want to know how you compare on this with your family and friends, please ask them to come spend a couple minutes with us.

Do you have ideas on improving this study? Or did you encounter any difficulties in answering the questions? Click here to send a message to the creators of this study.




Learn more about your happiness and spending habits!



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