NONFINANCIAL MOTIVES AND BARGAIN HUNTING

Two experiments investigated financial and nonfinancial motives involv ed in bargain hunting. Subjects read scenarios that described the purc hase of a television set. Scenarios differed in terms of whether a bar gain was received, whether there was personal financial gain, and whet her the sale was acquired through skill or luck. The results suggest t hat subjects generally enjoyed bargains regardless of any financial ga in, thereby implying that nonfinancial motives might also be involved. Surprisingly, bargains acquired skillfully were not enjoyed more than lucky bargains. Thus, achievement motives could not explain why subje cts enjoyed bargains when there was no associated financial gain. Inst ead, it seemed that acquiring a bargain was primarily considered a mat ter of luck.