单选题 Conspicuous consumption has been an object of fascination going back at least as far as 1899, when the economist Thorstein Veblen published The Theory of the Leisure Class, a book that analyzed, in part, how people spent their money in order to demonstrate their social status. And it"s been well-known for a long time that extra cash always makes life a little easier. Studies over the last few decades have shown that money, up to a certain point, makes people happier because it lets them meet basic needs. The latest round of research is, for lack of a better term, all about emotional efficiency, how to reap the most happiness for your dollar.
So just where does happiness reside for consumers? Scholars and researchers haven"t determined whether Armani will put a bigger smile on your face than Dolce & Gabbana. But they have found that our types of purchases, their size and frequency, and even the timing of the spending all affect long-term happiness.
One major finding is that spending money for an experience—concert tickets, French lessons, sushi rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco—produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff. According to retailers and analysts, consumers have attracted more toward experiences than possessions over the last couple of years, choosing to use their extra cash for nights at home with family, watching movies and playing games—or for "staycations" in the backyard. Many retailing professionals think this is not a fad, but rather "the new normal."
Jennifer Black, president of the retailing research company Jennifer Black Associates, largely attributes this to baby boomers" continuing concerns about the job market and their ability to send their children to college. While they will still spend, they will spend less, she said, having reset their priorities.
While it is unlikely that most consumers will downsize, many have been, well, happily surprised by the pleasures of living a little more simply. The Boston Consulting Group said in a June report that recession anxiety had prompted a "back-to-basics movement," with things like home and family increasing in importance over the last two years, while things like luxury and status have declined.
Current research suggests that, unlike consumption of material goods, spending on leisure and services typically strengthens social bonds, which in turn helps amplify happiness. Academics are already in broad agreement that there is a strong correlation between the quality of people"s relationships and their happiness; hence, anything that promotes stronger social bonds has a good chance of making us feel all warm and fuzzy.
And the creation of complex, sophisticated relationships is a rare thing in the world. As Professor Dunn and her colleagues point out in their forthcoming paper, only termites, naked mole rats and certain insects like ants and bees construct social networks as complex as those of human beings. In that elite little club, humans are the only ones who shop.

单选题 The expression "conspicuous consumption" refers to ______

单选题 All of the following affect "emotional efficiency" except ______

单选题 It is implied that spending money for an experience ______

单选题 Spending on leisure and services is synonymous to spending on ______

单选题 Compared with some animals and insects, humans ______