The effect of material and experiential consumption on goal pursuit

Abstract Previous research predominately focuses on the negative aspects of material consumption. Thus, the primary purpose of this current research is to investigate the potential upside of material consumption on consumers' goal pursuit. Specifically, four studies show that whether individuals have recently engaged in experiential or material consumption determines how feedback about their performance in a later goal‐directed activity influences their goal‐relevant behavior. Experiential consumption triggers individuals' intrinsic motivation and focuses their attention on their enjoyment of engaging in an activity rather than the outcomes that result from doing so. Consequently, the feedback they receive about their performance in one task has little effect on their behavior in conceptually related situations. By contrast, the extrinsic motivation activated by material consumption leads individuals to use the feedback as an indication of the quality of their performance, motivating them to work harder on a later goal‐directed activity if the feedback they received was negative. Field studies confirm the implications of these findings in actual consumption situations.