Monday, April 09, 2012

Consumerism and Its Antisocial Effects Can Be Turned On -- Or Off

ScienceDaily -- Money doesn't buy happiness. Neither does materialism: Research shows that people who place a high value on wealth, status, and stuff are more depressed and anxious and less sociable than those who do not. Now new research shows that materialism is not just a personal problem. It's also environmental. "We found that irrespective of personality, in situations that activate a consumer mindset, people show the same sorts of problematic patterns in wellbeing, including negative affect and social disengagement," says Northwestern University psychologist Galen V. Bodenhausen.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120409175915.htm