Materialism

Motives of Materialism

Materialism is driven by different motives. Some people believe that worldly possessions are very important in defining themselves. They use material objects to make statements about their identity and communicate this identity to others. For example, some people tend to use material possessions to communicate their uniqueness (i.e., setting them apart from the crowd). The opposite is also true for others who consider that material possessions signal group membership. In other words, they buy products to help them identify with a certain social group, thereby satisfying their belongingness needs. Coping with insecurity and low levels of self-esteem is another motive driving material acquisition. Thus, material possessions serve to enhance one’s self-concept. Specifically, materialistic people believe that the quantity and quality of material possessions symbolize achievement and success in life. They use their material possessions to show off their wealth, to signal how much they have achieved in their lives, and to seek social recognition by others. Happiness is another motive driving materialism. Indeed, many people consider happiness to be the ultimate goal in life. However, some people choose nonmaterialistic ways (e.g., family relationships, self-improvement, friendship) to pursue happiness, whereas others focus on material possessions.

Social Influence and Materialism

Materialism is mostly treated by social scientists as a learned individual difference, not an innate trait. People learn that material acquisition and possessions are conduits to happiness and social recognition. This learning occurs through social influence, specifically family influence, peer influence, and media influence.

Children learn about the value of material possessions primarily from their parents. Parents have an enormous influence over their children when it comes to consumption-related issues. The extent to which parents value material possessions and the way they communicate this value to others signal to their children what is appropriate, what is good, and what is valued. As expected, materialistic parents are more likely to have materialistic children than nonmaterialistic parents. Family structure also affects the extent to which children become materialistic. Parents from disrupted or stressful families may use gift giving to display affection to their children, equating material goods with feeling loved and wanted, while children from such families may use material possessions to replace an absent parent. As such, children from disrupted families tend to be more materialistic than children from intact families.

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