Sad, self-absorbed shoppers spend more - Behavior- msnbc.com

Different from retail therapy, researchers have found that people who are sad unconsciously spend more.

The so-called “misery is not miserly” phenomenon is well-known to psychologists, advertisers and personal shoppers alike, and has been documented in a similar study in 2004.
...The study found a willingness to spend freely by sad people occurs mainly when their sadness triggers greater “self-focus."
...Sadness leads people to become more focused on themselves, causing the person to feel that they and their possessions are worth little. That feeling increases willingness to pay more — presumably to feel better about themselves.