Intentional hedonic consumption motivates prosocial behavior

Consumers frequently engage in hedonic experiences either intentionally, driven by their own volition, or unintentionally, motivated by situational factors. This research investigates the effect of the intentionality of hedonic consumption on subsequent prosocial behavior. We propose and find that consumers are more likely to exhibit prosocial behavior after engaging in intentional, versus unintentional, hedonic consumption. This effect arises because intentional hedonic consumption leads consumers to infer that they cultivated self-compassion, which in turn motivates them to behave prosocially. Seven experiments demonstrate convergent evidence for this effect, using monetary as well as non-monetary prosocial behavior, generalizing across several hedonic consumption domains, and ruling out alternative mechanisms. Importantly, the effect occurs specifically following intentional hedonic (vs. non-hedonic) consumption, and only when the prosocial behavior is not unduly effortful. These findings provide meaningful implications for consumer welfare, marketers of hedonic offerings, and nonprofit organizations.