Extrinsic and Intrinsic Contingent Self-Esteem and Materialism: A Correlational and Experimental Investigation

Abstract

While there is substantial evidence regarding the role of generalized self-esteem and identity deficits as potential antecedents of materialism, the exact nature of the domains from which such self-esteem deficits (that breeds materialism) emanate has remained unexplored. Moreover, there is scant research attention on intrinsically oriented contingent self-esteem and how it relates to materialism. The present study investigated contingent self-esteem in extrinsic domains as antecedents of materialism. It was shown that extrinsic and intrinsic forms of contingent self-esteem relate differently with materialism such that intrinsically contingent self-esteem is incompatible with materialistic attitudes. Study 1 (N = 231 Singaporean adults) furnished cross-sectional evidence that extrinsically oriented contingent self-esteem positively predicts materialism. Study 2 (N = 206 undergraduates from a public university in Singapore) found that intrinsically oriented contingent self-esteem is negatively related to materialism. Study 3 (N = 105 Singaporean undergraduates) showed that experimental induction of extrinsic and intrinsic contingent self-esteem leads to higher or lower materialism among participants respectively. The findings advance understanding on the self-esteem-materialism link by showing how the domain-specific view of self-esteem has the potential to promote or discourage materialism based on whether self-esteem is anchored to external or internal domains. Recommendations for intervention researchers and practitioners are proposed.