Is Materialism All That Bad? Effects on Satisfaction with Material Life, Life Satisfaction, and Economic Motivation

Autor/inn/en	Sirgy, M. Joseph; Gurel-Atay, Eda; Webb, Dave; Cicic, Muris; Husic-Mehmedovic, Melika; Ekici, Ahmet; Herrmann, Andreas; Hegazy, Ibrahim; Lee, Dong-Jin; Johar, J. S.
Titel	Is Materialism All That Bad? Effects on Satisfaction with Material Life, Life Satisfaction, and Economic Motivation
Quelle	In: Social Indicators Research, 110 (2013) 1, S.349-366 (18 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0303-8300
DOI	10.1007/s11205-011-9934-2
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Life Satisfaction; Motivation; Economic Progress; Living Standards; Fantasy; Probability; Multivariate Analysis; Australia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Egypt; Germany; South Korea; Turkey; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Lebensvollendung; psychologische; Motivation (psychologisch); Economic growth; Wirtschaftswachstum; Lebensstandard; Fantasie; Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung; Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie; Multivariate Analyse; Australien; Bosnia-Herzegovina; Bosnien-Herzegowina; Ägypten; Deutschland; Korea; Republik; Türkei; USA
Abstract	The literature in economic psychology and quality-of-life studies alludes to a negative relationship between materialism and life satisfaction. In contrast, the macroeconomic literature implies a positive relationship between material consumption and economic growth. That is, materialism may be both good and bad. We develop a model that reconciles these two contrasting viewpoints by asserting that materialism may lead to life dissatisfaction when materialistic people evaluate their standard of living using fantasy-based expectations (e.g., ideal expectations), which increases the likelihood that they would evaluate their standard of living negatively. In turn, dissatisfaction with standard of living increases the likelihood that they would evaluate their life negatively. However, materialistic people who evaluate their standard of living using reality-based expectations (e.g., ability expectations) are likely to feel more economically motivated than their non-materialistic counterparts, and this economic motivation is likely to contribute significantly and positively to life satisfaction. Survey data were collected from seven major cities each in a different country (Australia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Germany, Egypt, Korea, Turkey, and the USA) using a probability sample (cluster sampling method involving income stratification). The results provide support for the model. The economic public policy implications concerning how people evaluate their standard of living using ability-based expectations are discussed in the context of the ideals of meritocracy. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10