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Assessing Three Models of Materialism–Postmaterialism and Their Relationship with Well-Being: A Theoretical Extension

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Abstract

The issue of the dimensionality of materialism and postmaterialism, and their impact on key social and personal indicators, has been a hotly debated topic for decades. This study sought to achieve two goals to further our understanding of these constructs. First, it assessed whether an interactive materialism–postmaterialism conceptualization could be expanded to predict outcomes related to well-being. Second, the study extended the interactive model by using Richins’ three dimensions of materialism instead of the unidimensional construct utilized in previous studies. Results indicated that the interactive model successfully predicted three different measures of well-being, specifically physical symptoms, stress, and subjective vitality. Results are discussed in terms of extending materialism–postmaterialism theory, both with respect to refining the materialism construct as well as its associations with new criterion variables.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business Administration, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA

    Mark D. Promislo

  2. Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, Denver, USA

    Robert A. Giacalone

  3. Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA

    John R. Deckop

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  1. Mark D. Promislo
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  2. Robert A. Giacalone
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  3. John R. Deckop
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Correspondence to Mark D. Promislo.

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Promislo, M.D., Giacalone, R.A. & Deckop, J.R. Assessing Three Models of Materialism–Postmaterialism and Their Relationship with Well-Being: A Theoretical Extension. J Bus Ethics 143, 531–541 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2788-9

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