Exposing the moderating impact of parent-child value congruence on the relationship between adolescents’ materialism and subjective well-being

Abstract

The current study examines the influence of value congruence on the relationship between materialism and well-being in the context of adolescent materialism in the family environment. The study proposes a theoretical foundation of person-environment fit, which maintains that when an individual’s personal values and the values in one’s environment are complementary, the individual experiences enhanced well-being. Evidence shows that when the degree to which an adolescent prioritizes materialism as a personal value aligns with the degree to which a parent prioritizes materialism as a personal value, the adolescent reports higher subjective well-being. The findings imply that the value of materialism itself does not necessarily lead to negative outcomes during adolescence. Children in value-congruent, highly materialistic family environments are likely to experience the greatest life satisfaction and the least depression. Conclusions suggest that researchers should further examine the influence of moderating factors in the relationship between materialism and well-being.