Do Experiences Or Material Goods Make Us Happier? (2009)

"every action has an equal and opposite reaction"

I don't see anything earth-shattering with this report and it makes absolute sense, but for some reason the "every action has an equal and opposite reaction" kept coming to mind and seemed to hold absolute truth with their findings.

Specifically, they find that it is true that if purchases turn out well, then the purchase of experience has the greatest happiness benefit and material goods the lesser.

Conversely, they find the opposite is equally true when it comes to purchases that don't turn out well: "Purchases that decrease happiness are less damaging when they are material purchases than when they are experiential purchases," or people will be least happy when a purchase doesn't turn out well if it is an experience vs a material good.

Maybe I wasn't clear at first which warranted the down vote on the comment.

The actual study: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26169481/Happiness-for-Sale-Do-Exp...