When Materialists Intend to Resist Consumption: The Moderating Role of Self-Control and Long-Term Orientation

Abstract

Prior research indicated that resistance to consumption contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals and is associated with higher well-being. We investigate conditions under which materialists intend to resist consumption. We find that by enhancing self-control and long-term orientation, the intention to resist consumption and the frugality scores of high- and low-materialism individuals increase. These increases are stronger for those who believe that possessions are a source of happiness, but not for those who believe that possessions signal success or for those who believe that acquiring possessions is a central goal in their daily lives. The findings suggest that individuals who believe that possessions are a source of happiness and who are led to feel more self-controlled and long-term oriented become inclined to resist consumption in the short-term to achieve materialistic aspirations in the long-term. Similar findings were not obtained for the other dimensions of materialism because these dimensions do not motivate one to save in the short-term. Overall, these studies demonstrate that the happiness dimension of materialism may also motivate resistance to consumption. Such findings have implications for sustainability, for public policy makers, and for business ethics.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Frugality Scale (Lastovicka et al. 1999)

Please indicate how much you agree with the statements below using the scale provided (1 = Definitely disagree, 7 = Definitely agree):

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
If I take good care of my possessions, I will definitely save money in the long run
There are many things that are normally thrown away that are still quite useful
Making better use of my resources makes me feel good
If I can re-use an item I already have, there’s no sense in buying something new
I believe in being careful in how I spend my money
I discipline myself to get the most from my money
I am willing to wait on a purchase I want so that I can save money
There are things I resist buying today so I can save for tomorrow

Appendix 2: Instructions Used to Manipulate Participants’ Self-control and Time Orientation in Each Condition (Study 1)

(LSC-STO) Condition

John is a portrait of impulsiveness. He avoids strict diets, and indulges in sweets, chocolates,, and junk food. Because of John’s impulsiveness, many of his friends don’t feel comfortable around him. For instance, he drinks so much that he is seen as antisocial. John’s tendency to indulge often prevents him from having many of the things he wants in life. His finances are never in good shape, so he never buys what he really wants. The inability to control his impulses is perhaps John’s most outstanding trait. If he feels like doing something, he will do it, even when he knows that he will regret it later. John is unable to exert self-control not only because of his lack of discipline, but also because he is short-term oriented. However, John’s focus on the present often prevents him from planning ahead. He is not the sort of person who saves today to buy something better in the future, and because of that, he never buys what he really wants. His work and study reflects his personality. He knows what to do, but he never works on tasks that will give him only long-term rewards. His performance in school and at work is often above average, but only when the tasks give him short-term gains. Steve, John’s best friend, likes to say that “John is such a mess! He should be on the Oprah show!”

(HSC-LTO) Condition

John is a portrait of self-control. He follows strict diets, and refuses sweets, chocolates,, and junk food. Because of John’s self-control, many of his friends don’t feel comfortable around him. For instance, he drinks so little that he is seen as antisocial. John’s tendency to restrain often prevents him from having many of the things he wants in life. His finances are always in good shape, but he still doesn’t buy what he really wants. The ability to control his impulses is perhaps John’s most outstanding trait. If he feels like doing something, he will contain the impulse, even when he knows that he will regret it later. John is able to exert self-control not only because he has discipline, but also because he is long-term oriented. However, John’s focus on the future often prevents him from enjoying the moment. He is the sort of person who saves today to buy something better in the future, and because of that, he never buys what he really wants. His work and study reflects his personality. He knows what to do, but he never works on tasks that will give him only short-term rewards. His performance in school and at work is often above average, but only when the tasks give him long-term gains. Steve, John’s best friend, likes to say that “John is so tidy! He should be on the Oprah show!”

Appendix 3: Items Used to Measure Resistance to Consumption in Study 2

Below you will see several purchasing scenarios. Please answer the questions imagining that you can afford both options.