The High Price of Korean Materialism on Chronic and Momentary Happiness

Abstract

The present study aims to replicate and extend previous findings on the aversive effects of materialism on wellbeing. In numerous past studies, sufficient amount of information about psychological and social traits about materialists that are related to diminished happiness have been provided. However, they have neglected to examine materialists in daily life. This study overcomes such limitation by assessing materialists happiness at both chronic and momentary levels. At the chronic level, participants happiness was assessed from their retrospective evaluation on life satisfaction. At the momentary level, participants instant pleasure, meaningfulness, and engagement were used as an indicator of their happiness. Moreover, Study 1 addressed two psychological processes to understand the negative relationship between materialism and happiness. Mediation analysis showed that materialism begets a lay belief about happiness and consumer behaviors which in turn reduce happiness. Materialism also acted as a moderator to attenuate the positive impact of income on happiness. In Study 2, materialists momentary happiness and life style were examined in an everyday life setting using the experience sampling method. The results showed that materialists do feel unhappier in daily life. Interestingly, materialists showed a unique life style that reduces their happiness. Upon investigating their lifestyle further, results found that materialists engaged in happiness-enhancing activities less frequently, but surprisingly they felt more pleasure, meaningfulness, and engagement during those activities. Specifically, they engaged in self-enhancing activities, social events, leisure activities, and self-transcendent activities, but felt less happy while engaging in materialistic activities and asocial activities. The findings all together suggest the possibility that the life style of materialists begets reduced chronic and momentary happiness. Theoretical contribution, practical implication, and limitation of the study are discussed.