A Model of motivated cognition to account for the link between self‐monitoring and materialism

Abstract

Drawing on previous theorizing about the development of materialistic values, a model of motivated cognition is proposed to account for the positive association between self-monitoring and materialism. The model suggests that self-monitoring is associated with individual differences in belonging motivation, that belonging motivation shapes people's beliefs about buying as a means of belonging within valued groups, and that buying-is-for-belonging beliefs shape the degree to which people value wealth and luxury. Results from two studies supported this model and suggested that the self-monitoring results are not better attributed to extraversion, social self-confidence, or shyness. The proposed model emphasizes that traits associated with a strong need to belong may predispose people toward materialism. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.To many people, it is perfectly obvious that much of the world has become increasingly preoccupied with wealth, shopping, and luxury. Particularly within the United States and nations influenced by American culture, the rise of materialism is so patent that many concerned social commentators have found it unnecessary to even document that it is rising. However, data on the rise of materialism in the United States are abundant. In 1987, the Roper polling organization asked a representative sample of Americans how much income the respondents and their families would need to fulfill all their dreams. The median answer given to this question in 1987 was $50,000. The median answer given to the same question in 1996 was $90,000 (cited in Schor, 1998, p. 15). Although a small part of this increase can be attributed to inflationary adjustment, this substantial increase over a period of only 9 years strongly points toward a change in America's financial aspirations. Evidence from representative surveys of college freshmen tells a similar story. Astin, Green, and Korn (1987) observed that the percentage of American first-year college students that reported that "being very well off financially" was a "very important" or "essential" life goal rose from 39% to 75% between 1970 (cited in Myers & Diener, 1995. As should be expected, many Americans are reaping the negative consequences of their materialistic values: The average credit card debt in American households rose from $2,250 in 1990 to almost $9,000 in 2002 (McGraw, 2003). 1 WHY MATERIALISM IS PROBLEMATICIn spite of this rising interest in wealth and luxury, existing evidence suggests that material acquisitions contribute very little to people's happiness, if they contribute at all. Reported correlations between household income and life satisfaction are typically small (i.e., less than 0.20; Diener, Suh, Lucas, & Smith, 1999;Myers & Diener, 1995). But what is more important (given that many more people aspire to be wealthy than actually are) is that there is substantial evidence that materialistic values are negatively correlated with life satisfaction (see Rindfleisch, 2002, andKasser, 2002, for reviews). This negative correlation ...

Social Exclusion Causes People to Spend and Consume Strategically in the Service of Affiliation

“…It has been argued that high self-monitors mirror the prevailing social context because they have a strong desire to gain acceptance (Rose and DeJesus 2007). If socially excluded people alter their consumption for the purpose of gaining acceptance, and if high selfmonitors self-present for the purpose of gaining acceptance, then excluded high self-monitors should be particularly likely to modify their consumption according to the situational environment.…”

“…To achieve this goal, we examined whether individual differences in selfmonitoring moderate the effect of social exclusion on product preferences. High self-monitors change their behavior according to the prevailing social environment because of a strong desire to gain acceptance (Rose and DeJesus 2007). If excluded individuals mirror the spending preferences of others to foster affiliation, then mirrored spending should be particularly apparent among excluded high self-monitors.…”

Psychological and cultural insights into consumption of luxury Western brands in India

“…Culture can exert a powerful influence on people's valuation of wealth and luxury (Rose and DeJesus 2007;Rahtz, Sirgy and Meadow 1989). Cultural norms and beliefs are powerful forces shaping people's perceptions, disposition and behaviour (Markus and Kitayama 1991).…”

“…The glamour and fame of Bollywood could influence India's perceptions of luxury and gradually contribute to the national culture. Thus, Hofstede's (1980) theory of cultural dimensions can exert powerful influences on people's valuation of wealth and luxury (Rose and DeJesus 2007;Rahtz, Sirgy and Meadow 1989).…”

The effect of word-of-mouth on the purchase of genuine and counterfelt luxury brands : the roles of attitude functions

“…Several studies offer indirect support for a possible link between materialism and self-monitoring which is treated as the measurement for value-expressive function vs. social-adjustive function (DeBono and Packer 1991). Rose and DeJesus's (2007) research suggested that self-monitoring was positively related to belonging motivation and buying-is-for-belonging beliefs which generated materialism.…”