Implicit and explicit assessment of materialism: Associations with happiness and depression

Gratitude as an antidote to materialism in young consumers

Introduction

Materialism has consistently been associated with mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and with a decline in overall wellbeing. This article seeks to deepen the understanding of whether or not the level of materialism is reduced when a sense of gratitude is instilled and, if so, how.

Methods

After a thorough literature review, two empirical studies are presented. Study 1 has a quasi-experimental design and a sample of adolescent individuals in a major city in Brazil. Study 2 takes the form of a survey, completed by parents, in the same city.

Results

Study 1 demonstrates that a gratitude-based intervention can reduce the subjects' belief that material wealth brings happiness and signifies success. Study 2 suggests that parents who express gratitude have a perception of raising less materialistic children.

Discussion

These conclusions add to the theory and practice of consumer psychology and responsible consumption, particularly in relation to the behavior of young people, pointing toward ways to reduce excessive consumption through a simple and easily applied intervention: the stimulus of gratitude.

Bifactor Modelling, Reliability, and Validity of the Material Values Scale in Chinese Youth

The present study validated the bifactor model of the Material Values Scale (MVS) and examined the association between materialism and subjective well-being (SWB). Study 1 utilized a material values questionnaire that 1673 college students completed. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the bifactor model of the MVS had a better fit than other models. Likewise, the findings were replicated in Study 2 using a larger sample size (N = 2627). Through structural equation modeling, only the general and specific factors of success were found to be negative predictors of SWB. Our study both provides a methodological reference for measuring the MVS and compensates for the limitations of MVS measurement results.

Vitality Revisited: The Evolving Concept of Flourishing and Its Relevance to Personal and Public Health

Human flourishing, the state of optimal functioning and well-being across all aspects of an individual's life, has been a topic of philosophical and theological discussion for centuries. In the mid-20th century, social psychologists and health scientists began exploring the concept of flourishing in the context of health and high-level wellness. However, it is only in recent years, in part due to the USD 43 million Global Flourishing Study including 22 countries, that flourishing has entered the mainstream discourse. Here, we explore this history and the rapid acceleration of research into human flourishing, defined as "the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good" by the Harvard University's Flourishing Program. We also explore the construct of "vitality", which refers to a sense of aliveness, energy, and motivation; we contend that this has been neglected in the flourishing movement. We explore why incorporating measures of vitality, together with a broader biopsychosocial approach, considers all dimensions of the environment across time (the total exposome), which will greatly advance research, policies, and actions to achieve human flourishing.

Does Upward Social Comparison on SNS Inspire Adolescent Materialism? Focusing on the Role of Self-Esteem and Mindfulness

The present study tested the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of mindfulness in the association between upward social comparison on social network sites (SNSs) and adolescent materialism. A sample of 880 Chinese adolescents completed measures of upward social comparison on SNSs, materialism, self-esteem, mindfulness, and demographic information. Results showed that self-esteem mediated the link between upward social comparison on SNSs and adolescent materialism. That is, upward social comparison on SNSs was positively associated with adolescent materialism through the decreased self-esteem. Moreover, mindfulness acted as an important moderator in the mediation model. Both the direct association between upward social comparison on SNSs and materialism and the indirect association via self-esteem were moderated by mindfulness. These two associations were both weaker for adolescents with higher mindfulness than for those with lower mindfulness. These findings would advance our understanding of how and when upward social comparison on SNSs is associated with adolescent materialism. Limitations and implications of the present study are discussed.

The relationship between resilience, anxiety, and depression in Chinese collegiate athletes

Anxiety disorder is becoming increasingly prevalent across college campuses, particularly among collegiate athletes who face different stressors and challenges than their non-athlete peers. Anxiety and depression are well documented comorbidities. Furthermore, the number of Chinese collegiate athletes suffering from anxiety and depression is increasing. Psychologists have recently begun to take a more prophylactic approach to defend against these disorders through resilience education. Resilience education focuses on developing greater capacity to cope when mental and emotional challenges arise. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between resilience, depression, and anxiety in Chinese collegiate athletes. This study provides additional evidence of the value of incorporating an effective resilience educational module amongst collegiate athletes.

Research design

The study employed a survey research design to explore the complex relationship between depression, anxiety, and resilience for collegiate student athletes.

Data analysis strategy

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to account for any measurement error between the observed items (responses on the instruments) and the latent variables (anxiety, depression, and resilience). The theoretical hypothesized relationship for this study is an inverse relationship between anxiety and depression, on the one hand, and resilience on the other hand. The SEM statistical analysis from this study supported this theoretical model.

Effective sample size

599 collegiate athletes from six different universities in the province of Guangdong, China P.R. participated in this study.

Consumer impulse buying behavior: the role of confidence as moderating effect

Many indicators have been proposed that can contribute to impulse buying. However, few studies have examined the role of social comparison in impulse buying, materialism, and negative affect, and even less is known about the underlying processes that may moderate these relationships. The objective of this study was to create a framework that included social comparison, materialism, negative affect, impulse buying, and the moderator variable confidence in Vietnamese e-commerce. A total of 249 completed questionnaires were received from young people who frequently shop online. The study used a structural model and experimentally analyzed the links between materialism, social comparison, impulse buying, and negative affect, and how the moderating variable confidence influenced these interactions. The study finds that social comparison has a significant influence on materialism but has no impact on negative affect. However, negative affect significantly influences impulse buying. Materialism also has an impact on negative affect and impulse buying. Additionally, confidence has a beneficial moderating effect on the relationship between social comparison and impulse buying as well as social comparison and materialism. The limitations and implications of both the scientific and managerial aspects of the study were also addressed. The results will improve marketers’ understanding of impulse buying behaviors by evaluating the connection between materialism and negative affect, which will allow them to plan effective marketing strategies to increase future impulse buying and profits.

The Effect of Ostracism on Adults' Materialism: The Roles of Security and Self-Construal

With consumer culture becoming more prominent, the value of materialism is growing rapidly. This study explored the formation of materialism in adults, based on the temporal need–threat model of ostracism and the theory of materialistic values. Specifically, this study examined the link between ostracism and materialism from the perspective of security and the moderating role of self-construal in this process. A sample of 1,272 Chinese adults (M_age = 35.90 ± 11.59, 47.2% male) was recruited to complete the Ostracism Experiences Scale, the Material Values Scale, the Security Questionnaire, and the Self-Construal Scale. The results showed that (1) ostracism positively predicted materialism in Chinese adults; (2) security partially mediated the relationship between ostracism and materialism; (3) and self-construal moderated this mediation model. The moderating effect of self-construal on the relationship between ostracism and security was significant. Specifically, the direct effect of ostracism on security was much stronger for adults with interdependent self-construal than for those with independent self-construal. However, self-construal had no significant moderating effect on the direct effect of ostracism on materialism. These findings suggest that ostracism may affect materialism by damaging adults’ feelings of security, and independent self-construal can buffer the damage of ostracism on security.

Financial Factors and Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many factors have simultaneously affected people’s psychological distress (PD). The most commonly studied types of factors have been those relating to health risks involving SARS-CoV-2 infection and sociodemographic factors. However, financial changes at both the national and global levels and these changes’ influences on people’s personal finances constitute another group of factors with the potential to cause symptoms of anxiety and depression. A correlation study of 1135 working adults in Poland was conducted to analyze the roles of a wide range of financial variables in explaining the extent of people’s PD during the pandemic. Three groups of financial factors predicted PD over and above sociodemographic variables and COVID-19 health-related factors: a person’s objective financial situation, their subjective financial situation, and their individual financial disposition, the last of these being the most important. The present study adds to the current state of knowledge by showing that financial variables explain a significant portion of variance in PD over and above sociodemographic and COVID-19 health-related factors. Moreover, the study also identified individual financial variables that were capable of predicting people’s psychological distress during the pandemic.

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.

How are smartphones associated with adolescent materialism?

This study examined whether smartphone addiction predicted adolescent materialism and whether self-esteem mediated the relation between smartphone addiction and adolescent materialism. Moreover, this study tested whether this mediating process was moderated by student–student relationship. Our theoretical model was tested among 748 middle school students in China (mean age = 16.80, standard deviation = .73). The results indicated that smartphone addiction was positively related to adolescent materialism. Mediation analysis showed that self-esteem mediated this relation. Moderated mediation test further revealed that the mediated path was moderated by student–student relationship.