How anti-consumption can lead to subjective wellbeing:a closer look at the role of time orientation

Existing research shows contrasting evidence on the interconnections between anti-consumption and subjective wellbeing. Further, scant research exists on how time preferences might interact with anti-consumption and wellbeing. Using a quantitative survey with 333 UK participants (Study 1), we test hypotheses about how individuals’ temporal preferences, including long-term orientation and tendency to spend time meaningfully, impact the interconnection between anti-consumption and wellbeing. Results determine that spending time meaningfully mediates the relationship between anti-consumption and subjective wellbeing. Further, individuals who are more long-term orientated show lower levels of subjective wellbeing than individuals who are less long-term orientated. This is a counter-intuitive finding, which we test further (Study 2) using an experimental research design with a sample of 248 US participants. Results confirm that the relationship between anti-consumption and subjective wellbeing is mediated by spending time meaningfully. However, individuals who score high on frugality (a lifestyle related to both anti-consumption and long-term orientation) have a lower tendency to spend time meaningfully than individuals who score low on frugality. Our research contributes to the anti-consumption literature by clarifying the relationship between anti-consumption and subjective wellbeing, and by determining the significance of time preferences in this relationship. These contributions are significant, as they respond to calls for further research on the outcomes of anti-consumption and its interconnections with temporality.