study

Study Says Luxury Changes People for the Worse

Filed under: Wealth

A new study found that when people are exposed to luxury they become more self-centered and less empathetic towards others.

The study was put together by Harvard professor Roy Y.J. Chua and London Business School assistant professor Xi Zou as a step towards understanding how luxury goods effect the human psyche, and as a means of explaining the harmful decisions of wealthy groups like Wall Street executives. In the study people were asked to make a series of decisions designed to pit self-interests against society-interests, and the people who thought about luxury immediately before the test made more selfish and potentially harmful decisions than those who didn't.

The results seem to suggest that businessmen who have meetings at posh resorts surrounded by opulence and luxury will make more profit-driven, self-interested decisions than those who meet in a modest conference room. What do you think, does being surrounded by luxury make a person more likely to think only about themselves?

Via psfk

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Tags: lifestyle, luxury, psychology, spending, spending habits, SpendingHabits, study, wealth

Two Out of Three Women Feel Bad About Luxury Purchases

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Market research firm Synovate surveyed 8,100 people in Brazil, Canada, France, Hong Kong, India, Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States about luxury and what it means. Over a third of the respondents defined it as "everything above what is necessary." That's recession mentality if we've ever heard it.

Being frugal is a virtue to some. Perhaps that's why over half of the 72 percent of Britons (66 percent of women!) who say they treat themselves to luxury report feeling bad about it. "It's a classic case of British guilt. It's seen as much more acceptable to buy something 'needed' for the home than it is to indulge yourself in any way," says Jill Telford, Synovate's CEO for the UK. The survey showed a similar majority in the US.

If you don't feel guilty about luxury purchases, you're thinking more along the lines of the Indians, Dutch and Brazilians, of whom the majority feel just fine with spoiling themselves a bit, thank you very much (or perhaps you're a man; men showed far less guilt than women worldwide).

Check out more of Synovate's luxury research here.

[via Reuters]

Tags: guilt, money, study

New Art Is Emotional, Old Is Intellectual, According to New Study

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Do you like contemporary art? A new study suggests that's because you've developed an emotional connection to it. If you prefer older pieces, on the other hand, your response is intellectual. The findings, published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, from the University of Rome was based on 137 people who attended to local museums in Rome: the Braschi, which is home to pieces created through the middle of the nineteenth century, and the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. Essentially, how you feel about a piece is based largely on when it was created.

Both groups – the emotive and intellectual – stated that their reason for going to the museums was "an interest in the artists" and the opportunity to "see the artworks in the original." But, those opting for the National Gallery frequently responded that they enjoyed "the pleasure they feel during their visit," while those going to the Braschi cited a "desire for cultural enrichment."

Is it as simple as "modern art is to be enjoyed and the classics are to be appreciated?" It sure seems that way, as the response by those hitting the Braschi seem to equate it to taking the stairs rather than an elevator – it feels good because it's good for you. That said, there's no doubt that intellectual stimulation feels fantastic, so oversimplifying the reaction as some form of self-betterment is probably a tad unfair, especially since participants in both groups had high scores for "openness to new experience." The modern art lovers, though, did tend to lean toward "sensation-seeking."

The demographic breakdown is pretty interesting, as well. Most of the participants were women, and all generally had similar levels of education. But, those preferring the National Gallery were 10 years younger, on average, than those gravitating toward the classics.

[Photo by Steve Ferdman, Bauzen Studios]

What Kind Of Art Do You Prefer?
Modern	88 (40.9%)
Classic	127 (59.1%)

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Tags: art, art museums, ArtMuseums, classics, contemporary art, ContemporaryArt, entertainment-awards, entertainment-ipedia, entertainment-pedia, modern art, ModernArt, research, study

Step

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

In movies, the library shelves always seem to reach from floor-to-ceiling in 25-foot tall rooms and people need to use huge, rolling ladders to move around and locate the book they want. While most homes don't have a library system that is that daunting, floor-to-ceiling shelves are not uncommon and a small ladder or step is not a bad idea. Designed by by Konstantin Grcic, Step is a lightweight set of library steps, about 5-ft. high, that is safe and adds something of a distinguished look to even a simple library. There is a book rest at the top, so you can flip though volumes without climbing up and down. Price: £345 ($645).

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Tags: ladder, library, office, shelf, shelves, step, steps, study