Does variety in hedonic spending improve happiness? Testing alternative causal mechanisms between hedonic variety and subjective well-being.

Abstract in brief

• The research explores whether having a variety of hedonic (pleasure-related) experiences or spending can increase happiness, based on the idea that diverse experiences may prevent people from getting used to their happiness gains.
• Across four studies with nearly 3,000 participants, the researchers found that the more varied people's hedonic spending, the greater their reported wellbeing, even after accounting for overall spending and financial factors.
• Experiments and analyses showed mixed results regarding whether spending variety causes increased happiness or vice versa, but participants consistently reported that varied spending contributed more to their happiness than uniform spending, suggesting that diversity in pleasurable activities may enhance wellbeing.