Growing up in a material world: Age differences in materialism in children and adolescents

Lan Nguyen Chaplin*, Deborah Roedder John

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

386 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examine age differences in materialism with children and adolescents 8-18 years old. In study 1, we find materialism increases from middle childhood to early adolescence and declines from early to late adolescence. Further, we find that age differences are mediated by changes in self-esteem occurring from middle childhood through adolescence. In study 2, we prime self-esteem to obtain further evidence of a causal link between self-esteem and materialism. As expected, we find that inducing high self-esteem decreases expressions of materialism. Inducing high self-esteem reduces materialism among adolescents so dramatically that age differences in materialism disappear.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)480-493
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Consumer Research
Volume34
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2007

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • Anthropology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Marketing

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