ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to reduce the ambiguity in understanding the antecedents and consequences of materialism. Materialism is a central construct in marketing and consumer behavior research. It has been the focus of substantial research by social scientists, and it is also well known by lay persons more generally, at least in western societies. Consumer socialization refers to the specific consumer-related values that individuals acquire. Mass media is an important socialization agent. Although socialization agents have a strong influence on the adoption of materialistic values and behaviors, psychological factors also play a role. Experimental research on the effects of materialistic consumption suggests that materialistic behavior can have beneficial effects under certain conditions. The chapter reviews four specific conceptualizations of materialism, based on traits, personal values, goals, and motives. One reasonable criticism of most materialism research is that, with relatively few exceptions, it is correlational, which makes it difficult to draw firm inferences regarding causal influence.
