The association between materialism and perceived relationship quality in young adults

This study aimed to determine how materialism is related to relationship quality, as conceptualised across multiple levels, including an individual’s relationship to self (self-esteem and attachment), relationships with others (family, peers and intimate partners) and relationships in the broader social context (online and community). Young adults between 18 and 30 years of age (N = 205) completed an online self-report questionnaire that assessed materialism, self-esteem and attachment style, as well as a number of relationship variables of interest. Data were analysed using bivariate correlations and regression analyses. Lower self-esteem, anxious attachment and poorer quality of family relationships predicted higher levels of materialism (p < .05), even after controlling for demographic and socio-economic variables (p < .05), with self-esteem showing the strongest association. These findings were interpreted within a developmental framework that posits a central role for the individual’s early relationships and immediate environment in the etiology of materialism, although future longitudinal studies are needed to test this theory explicitly.