I am what I do, not what I have: the differential centrality of experiential and material purchases to the self.

@article{Carter2012IAW,
  title={I am what I do, not what I have: the differential centrality of experiential and material purchases to the self.},
  author={Travis J. Carter and Thomas Gilovich},
  journal={Journal of personality and social psychology},
  year={2012},
  volume={102 6},
  pages={
          1304-17
        }
}
What kinds of purchases do the most to make us happy? Previous research (Carter & Gilovich, 2010; Van Boven & Gilovich, 2003) indicates that experiences, such as vacations and concerts, are more likely to do so than material possessions, such as clothes and electronic gadgets. The present research was designed to explore 1 potential explanation for this result, namely, that experiences tend to be more closely associated with the self than possessions. The authors first show that people tend to… 
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