J. Tsang, T. Carpenter, J. Roberts, M. Frisch, R. Carlise
This study examined the role of gratitude and need satisfaction as they relate to a person’s materialism and life satisfaction. Analysis was based on self-reporting through an online questionnaire from 246 undergraduate marketing students (117 males, 129 females). Results found that:
- The more materialistic a participant was, the less life satisfaction they had; the less materialistic a participant was the more life satisfaction they had.
- The same was found in regards to gratitude: the more materialistic a participant was, the less grateful they were, with the less materialistic participants having more gratitude.
- 50% of the correlation between life satisfaction and materialism was found to be related to the mediation effect of a participant’s gratitude and need satisfaction.
- More grateful people have more life satisfaction, in part because they have increased autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
- To improve life satisfaction for materialists, efforts should be made to focus on appreciation through positive interventions.
