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Materialism and the Experience of Flow

Amy Isham Orcid Logo, Birgitta Gatersleben, Tim Jackson

Journal of Happiness Studies, Volume: 22, Issue: 4, Pages: 1745 - 1768

Swansea University Author: Amy Isham Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1007/s10902-020-00294-w

Abstract

The need to locate ways of living that can be both beneficial to personal well-being and ecologically sustainable is becoming increasingly important. Flow experiences show promise for the achievement of personal and ecological well-being. However, it is not yet understood how the materialistic value...

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Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies
ISSN: 1389-4978 1573-7780
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2021
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61459
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Abstract: The need to locate ways of living that can be both beneficial to personal well-being and ecologically sustainable is becoming increasingly important. Flow experiences show promise for the achievement of personal and ecological well-being. However, it is not yet understood how the materialistic values promoted by our consumer cultures may impact our ability to experience flow. A cross-sectional survey of 451 people demonstrated that materialistic values and an individual’s tendency to experience flow were negatively correlated (Study 1). Next we showed that experimentally priming a materialistic mind-set led to poorer quality flow experiences in a sample of students (Study 2) and British adults (Study 3). Our findings add to current understandings of the detrimental consequences of materialistic values and suggest that it is crucial to challenge the materialistic values present within our consumer societies if we are to provide opportunities for experiencing flow.
Keywords: Flow; Materialism; Well-being; Sustainability
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: This research was conducted with support from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and is part of the interdisciplinary research program of CUSP—the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity.
Issue: 4
Start Page: 1745
End Page: 1768

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