Yin, Siyuan
Email Address
ORCID
Disciplines
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Publication Splurging After Reaching Your Goal: How and When a Used (vs. Unused) Account Affects Consumption Behavior?(2023-05-01) Yin, Siyuan; Sharif, Marissa A.How does spending from a used (vs. unused) account affect consumption behavior? In ten studies (N=13,948), we find that consumers are more likely to spend resources on non-essential items from a used (vs. unused) account. This is because consumers perceive they have accomplished their purchase goal when they have relatively less remaining in their account. We demonstrate the robustness of the effect of a used vs. unused account across several domains, including checking accounts, credit card reward points, and gift cards. Further, we demonstrate three boundary conditions of the effect, revealing that the proportion of the account remaining, whether the purchase goal has been reached or not, as well as whether the purchase is on essential vs. non-essential items moderate the subsequent consumption behavior.Publication The Life You Save (For): Experiences Dominate Goods in Motivating Savings(2025) Yin, SiyuanPrior research suggests that when consumers think about spending, experiences tend to take priority over goods. But does this experiential dominance extend to motivation to save, which requires long-term planning and constant motivation to achieve their goal in the future? Across two field studies and six preregistered experiments, consumers are more motivated to initiate a savings goal, save toward, and protect their progress toward experiential versus material goals. Further, analyses of real saving behavior further support experiential dominance in success rates and persistence in streaks. We suggest that this effect arises because consumers perceive experiential goals as more versatile, which can be adapted to satisfy more needs and better accommodate the uncertain preferences of their future selves. Supporting this account, we demonstrate that the effect of experiential (vs. material) goals is stronger over a longer goal period and is less subject to goal gradient effects. Further, we reveal the effect is moderated by goal specificity. Together, these findings demonstrate that goals that are either related to or framed in terms of experiences better motivate savings, making both the encouragement of experiential goals and experiential framing a useful tool for policymakers, researchers, and consumers. focusing on promoting saving and improving financial well-being.Publication The Life You Save (For): Experiences Dominate Goods in Motivating Savings(2025-10-29) Yin, Siyuan; Donnelly, Grant; Lamberton, Cait; Norton, Michael I.Prior research suggests that when consumers think about spending, experiences tend to take priority over goods. But does this experiential dominance extend to motivation to save, which requires long-term planning and constant motivation to achieve their goal in the future? Across two field studies and six preregistered experiments, consumers are more motivated to initiate a savings goal, save toward, and protect their progress toward experiential versus material goals. Further, analyses of real saving behavior further support experiential dominance in success rates and persistence in streaks. We suggest that this effect arises because consumers perceive experiential goals as more versatile, which can be adapted to satisfy more needs and better accommodate the uncertain preferences of their future selves. Supporting this account, we demonstrate that the effect of experiential (vs. material) goals is stronger over a longer goal period and is less subject to goal gradient effects. Further, we reveal the effect is moderated by goal specificity. Together, these findings demonstrate that goals that are either related to or framed in terms of experiences better motivate savings, making both the encouragement of experiential goals and experiential framing a useful tool for policymakers, researchers, and consumers. focusing on promoting saving and improving financial well-being.