Author(s)

AiLi Xie, WenChao Pan, WenTao Huang^*

Affiliation(s)

School of Management, Huashang college, Guangzhou 511300, Guangdong, China.

Corresponding Author

WenTao Huang

ABSTRACT

In the context of consumption upgrade, happiness has become a core issue in consumer behavior research. Existing studies emphasize the positive effects of experiential consumption on happiness but overlook the value of symbolic consumption in identity construction and social recognition through symbolic transmission, and lack an examination of the dynamics of real social scenarios. This paper, based on symbolic interactionism, integrates perspectives from psychology, sociology, and marketing to compare the mechanisms by which symbolic consumption and experiential consumption affect happiness, revealing the moderating effects of social scenarios, cultural norms, and individual traits. The study finds that symbolic consumption achieves a "silent declaration of identity" through the visibility of material symbols (such as luxury goods), but its happiness is easily constrained by "vanity stigma" and cultural norms; experiential consumption relies on narrative sharing and emotional resonance, offering advantages in high-social-interaction settings, yet it is limited by individual expression capabilities and opportunities for sharing. The effects of these two types of consumption are complementary in online-offline integrated scenarios, with cultural differences (such as collectivism versus individualism) and self-construction types (independent versus dependent) further moderating their happiness output. The study calls for attention to the complexity of symbolic interactions in consumer behavior and proposes a three-dimensional integrated model of "consumption type—symbolic interaction—happiness," providing a theoretical framework for future exploration of virtual-real integration scenarios, deepening the classification of symbolic consumption, and optimizing paradigms for measuring happiness.

KEYWORDS

Symbolic interactionism; Symbolic consumption; Experiential consumption; Happiness

CITE THIS PAPER

AiLi Xie, WenChao Pan, WenTao Huang. Differences in happiness of consumption types in social scenes from the perspective of symbolic interaction: theoretical debate and integration of symbolic consumption and experiential consumption. Social Science and Management. 2025, 2(2): 30-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/ssm3048.

REFERENCES

[1] R W Belk. Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 1988, 15(2): 139–168.

[2] L Van Boven, M C Campbell, T Gilovich. Stigmatizing materialism: On stereotypes and impressions of materialistic and experiential pursuits. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2010, 36(4): 551–563.

[3] A Kumar, T Gilovich. The "tellability" of experiential purchases. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2015, 25(3): 439–452.

[4] E Diener, S Oishi, L Tay. Advances in subjective well-being research. Nature Human Behaviour, 2018, 2(4): 253–260.

[5] E L Deci, R M Ryan. The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 2000, 11(4): 227–268.

[6] E W Dunn, D T Gilbert, T D Wilson. If money doesn’t make you happy, then you probably aren’t spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2011, 21(2): 115–125.

[7] L Nicolao, J R Irwin, J K Goodman. Happiness for sale: Do experiential purchases make consumers happier than material purchases? Journal of Consumer Research, 2009, 36(2): 188–198.

[8] W Bastos, M Brucks. How and why conversational value leads to happiness for experiential purchases. Journal of Consumer Research, 2017, 44(3): 598–612.

[9] P A Caprariello, H T Reis. To do, to have, or to share? Valuing experiences over material possessions depends on the involvement of others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013, 104(2): 199–215.

[10] M L Richins. Valuing things: The public and private meanings of possessions. Journal of Consumer Research, 1994, 21(3): 504–521.

[11] J Lee, L J Shrum. Conspicuous consumption versus charitable behavior in response to social exclusion: A differential needs explanation. Journal of Consumer Research, 2012, 39(3): 530–544.

[12] J Berger, C Heath. Where consumers diverge from others: Identity signaling and product domains. Journal of Consumer Research, 2007, 34(2): 121–134.

[13] T J Carter, T Gilovich. I am what I do, not what I have: The differential centrality of experiential and material purchases to the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012, 102(6): 1304–1317.

[14] N Y Wong, A C Ahuvia. Personal taste and family face: Luxury consumption in Confucian and Western societies. Psychology & Marketing, 1998, 15(5): 423–441.

[15] S Bellezza, N Paharia, A Keinan. Conspicuous consumption of time: When busyness and lack of leisure time become a status symbol. Journal of Consumer Research, 2017, 44(1): 118–138.

[16] X Li, W Li, Y Xie. Luxury consumption and well-being: A longitudinal study in China. Journal of Business Research, 2019, 102: 274–282.

[17] H Zhong, S Zhang, S Li. Research on the influence of self-concept clarity on consumer behavior. Journal of Psychology, 2020, 52(3): 345–356.

[18] K White, R Habib, D J Hardisty. How to SHIFT consumer behaviors to be more sustainable: A literature review and guiding framework. Journal of Marketing, 2019, 83(3): 22–49.

[19] M E P Seligman. Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Free Press, 2011.