ABSTRACT
A consumer gets caught up in the materialism-loneliness-unhappiness trap when they utilize material possessions as a proxy measure for success and happiness. Several socio-psychological factors have been identified as directly impacting materialism, loneliness and happiness, independently as well as contingently to the materialism-loneliness-unhappiness trap. The eight factors that have been identified have the capacity to comprehensively unfold the trap. The eight factors are egocentric and socio-centric motivations, experiential purchases, product evaluation, social support, religiosity, environmentalism, social giving and nostalgia. Environmentalism and religiosity also help in weakening the link between materialism and loneliness. The socio-psychological factors that impact materialism are egocentric purchase motivations, socio-centric purchase motivations, experiential purchases, product evaluation, environmentalism and religiosity. The purchase mechanism includes egocentric and socio-centric purchase motivations, experiential purchases and product evaluation. The consumer with egocentric purchase motivations utilizes material goods as a status signal or as a proxy measure of happiness.
