Development Of Materialistic Values Research Articles

The Development of Materialism in Emerging Adulthood: Stability, Change, and Antecedents.

The present study investigated stability and change in materialism in emerging adulthood as well as the predictive roles of socioeconomic status (SES) and gender on the development of materialistic values. Indicator-specific latent state-trait growth models were applied to four-wave longitudinal data from a sample of 738 Chinese college students. The results showed that materialism was stable: 67% to 86% of the variance in the reliable interindividual differences in materialism was due to trait factors. In addition, materialism showed an increasing trajectory over the college years, and this developmental trend could not be attributed to measurement artifacts or confounding influences. Moreover, low family SES magnified the increase in materialism, whereas being female predicted lower initial levels of materialism. Collectively, these findings illustrate the nature and antecedents of the development of materialism in emerging adulthood.

Living in wealthy neighborhoods increases material desires and maladaptive consumption

Despite the presumed national economic benefits that result from high levels of discretionary spending, past studies suggest that material consumption decreases individual economic and subjective well-being. However, most research on the development of materialistic values has examined how persuasive materialistic messages cause materialism. We recruited 2702 participants to test our prediction that living in wealthy neighborhoods should increase material desires and maladaptive consumption in much the same way it decreases happiness. Interestingly, our regression models revealed that individual socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood SES have unique, and opposite, predictive patterns of material consumption. Specifically, after controlling for age, gender, and population size, greater neighborhood SES predicted greater desires for material consumption, more impulsive buying, and fewer savings behaviors while individual SES showed the reverse pattern. Our path model suggests that greater neighborhood SES leads to increased material desires, which then predicts more frequent impulsive buying, and fewer savings behaviors. We discuss why neighborhood SES might change values and consumer behaviors.

Development of materialistic values among children and adolescents

Purpose – Materialism among the younger generation has become a hot topic among parents, educators, marketers and policy makers, especially in Macao, a city where the influx of tourists and the expanding gaming facilities bring the potential threat of materialism and the erosion of traditional family values. This study aims to develop a model using age, sex, social comparison of consumption with friends, attention to advertising, and self‐esteem to predict young people's materialistic values.Design/methodology/approach – A probability sampling of 667 elementary and secondary school students aged 8 to 17 in Macao was conducted.Findings – Results show that social comparison of consumption with friends was the most important factor in predicting respondents' endorsement of materialistic values, followed by self‐esteem.Research limitations/implications – All the constructs are measured by self‐reporting. Some respondents may give socially desirable answers.Practical implications – Parents and educators should...

The Tantalizing Factors Associated with Compulsive Buying Among Young Adult Consumers

Most economies cannot prosper without production and mass consumption. However, when consumers overspend to keep up with the Joneses, they will be in trouble, both financially and psychologically. Indeed, when consumers allow spending to take over their lives, they suffer from an obsessive disorder commonly known as compulsive buying. The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model based primarily on existing scientific and empirical research to explain the possible mechanism responsible in young adult consumers’ development of compulsive buying tendencies. The role of television viewing, family and peer communication environment on the development of materialistic values among young adult consumers is reviewed. Next, the effect of materialism on the development of compulsive buying behaviour is re-examined, and an integrated model of compulsive buying is formulated. On the basis of prior empirical research, materialism is highlighted as a possible moderator in the relationship between television viewing, family and peer communication environment influences on the development of compulsive buying tendencies among young adult consumers. Prior studies conducted in the domain of family environment and compulsive buying behaviour among young adult consumers, did not addressed (any) specific effect of family communication patterns on the development of compulsive buying tendencies. Key words: Compulsive buying; Materialism; Television viewing influences; Family and peer communication environment influences; Young adult consumers

A Conceptual Model of the Determinants of Life Satisfaction Among Young Adult Consumers

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework which provides a better understanding on the various factors that contributes to life satisfaction among young adult consumers. Several conceptual and empirical studies have examined the impact of various socialization agents on materialism and its link to life satisfaction, however, no studies have examined the link between young adults’ characterized by a specific family communication pattern, and its implications on the development of materialistic values and life satisfaction. This paper presents a conceptual framework which attempts to examine and review the role of materialism as a potential mediating variable in the relationship between young adults, who are characterized by a specific type of family communication patterns at home (i.e., either socio-oriented, concept-oriented or religiously oriented family communication), and life satisfaction. Finally, a set of propositions on the basis of theory research is presented, together with a concluding remark. Key words: Family communication environment; Materialism; Life satisfaction; Young adult consumers

The Effect of Peer Communication Influence on the Development of Materialistic Values among Young Urban Adult Consumers

The study attempts to uncover the characteristics of materialism groups in Malaysia among young adult consumers. It assesses the differences between materialism groups, i.e., low and high materialistic groups, using demographic and peer communication dimensions. The data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. The sample consisted of 956 respondents. The majority of the respondents were Malays followed by Chinese and Indians. The proportion of female respondents was higher than the male respondents. Most of the respondents were single and in the age group of between 19-29 years old. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare mean scores for the study variables between ‘high’ materialism and ‘low’ materialism groups and significant mean differences were found between ‘high’ and ‘low’ materialism groups in terms of peer communication construct. Specifically, it was found that the ‘high’ materialism group has considerably greater ratings on the construct. Internal consistency reliability assessment using Cronbach coefficient alpha revealed that the two dimensions had high reliability. A stepwise discriminant analysis performed on peer communication variable found that peer communication variable was significant in differentiating the two materialism groups. The implications, significance and limitations of the study are discussed.

The role of religiosity in family communication and the development of materialistic values

While studies of communication effects on consumer behavior of the young have focused mainly on the effects of mass media, little research has examined the effects of interpersonal communication. One finds relatively little theoretical and empirical work regarding the role of interpersonal communication in the development of materialistic values of young people. This article deals with one important type of interpersonal communication ‐ family communication and the effect of religiosity in the communication process. It conceptualizes the family communication processes and effects, reviews literature regarding the role of family communication in the development of materialistic values of children and adolescents, and young adults and develops a set of propositions on the basis of theory research, and suggests directions for future research.

A framework to investigate money attitudes and materialism

Purpose and/or objectives: This paper presents a framework to investigate money attitudes and materialistic values. The conceptualization of the framework is guided by a critical review of literature. The intention is to provide a framework that will be useful to examine how various childhood family experiences influence later-life consumption orientations. Problem investigated: The differences in family resources represent one of the biggest distinctions between an intact and a disrupted family. The underlining question is whether children raised in disrupted families will experience lower levels of family resources (economic and emotional) and find the experience stressful. If so, will these experiences influence them to adopt conservative money attitudes and be less materialistic or will they symbolically value money and be more materialistic? Design/methodology/approach: The development of a framework requires a critical review of secondary sources. The literature review is based on theories that provide an explanation of how childhood family experiences can affect the development of materialistic values and money attitudes. The secondary sources require careful scrutiny of journal articles, dissertations and essays in a number of libraries to provide more scholarly insight into the concepts and to assist in the conceptualisation of the framework. Findings and/or implications: Four main theories were found useful in conceptualizing the framework. They are Ryan and Deci's (2000) self-determination theory, Maslow's (1943) human need theory, Wicklund and Gollwitzer's (1982) symbolic self-completion theory and the life course theory contextualized by Moschis (2007). However, in line with Moschis' (2007) realization, the perspectives of the life course theory were found to be multi-disciplinary, multi-theoretical and thus innovative. They would therefore form the main theoretical guide for the design of the framework. Originality and/or value of the research: The paper provides a framework to investigate the moderating effect that money attitudes can have on how childhood family experiences influence later-life materialistic values. This proposed framework may form the building blocks for a number of empirical studies especially as the life course approach in studying consumption orientations is innovative and multidisciplinary. Conclusion: The framework includes as independent variable, childhood family structure. Depended variables are perceived level of family resources, stress and materialistic values. Money attitudes are regarded as moderating variables.

Family and television influences on materialism: a cross‐cultural life‐course approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine whether the development of materialistic values in early life reflects cultural norms or is the outcome of media and family influences. It seeks to examine the role of family communication and television, which were found to promote materialistic values in individualistic countries, by assessing their effects on youths in four countries that represent the Eastern and Western cultures: Japan, Malaysia, USA, and France.Design/methodology/approachThe study used an anonymous self‐administered survey of young adults aged 18 to 32 years in two diverse Eastern countries: Japan and Malaysia (total n=351); the sample size was approximately the same for the Western countries of USA and France (n=315). The samples were equivalent with respect to demographic characteristics. The Malaysian questionnaires were available in both English and Malay. Measurement scales included in the Japanese questionnaires come from available translated versions. The French questionnaires were subjected to back translation.FindingsThe findings suggest that the influence of the socio‐oriented family communication structure on materialistic attitudes in Western cultures might be indirect by affecting the youth's patterns of television viewing. The findings also suggest that concept‐oriented family communication has no effect on youth's development of materialistic values, regardless of cultural background.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that television might not be as important a socialization agent in the development of materialistic values of youths in collectivistic Eastern countries as it has been in individualistic Western countries

A Model of motivated cognition to account for the link between self‐monitoring and materialism

AbstractDrawing on previous theorizing about the development of materialistic values, a model of motivated cognition is proposed to account for the positive association between self‐monitoring and materialism. The model suggests that self‐monitoring is associated with individual differences in belonging motivation, that belonging motivation shapes people's beliefs about buying as a means of belonging within valued groups, and that buying‐is‐for‐belonging beliefs shape the degree to which people value wealth and luxury. Results from two studies supported this model and suggested that the self‐monitoring results are not better attributed to extraversion, social self‐confidence, or shyness. The proposed model emphasizes that traits associated with a strong need to belong may predispose people toward materialism. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.