Materialism: A General Hierarchical Model Perspective

Materialism as used in common language often is accompanied by negative connotations. Some people might view being materialistic as akin to being greedy or overtly possessive. It is a construct that has received considerable attention in various fields. It is an acknowledged fact that materialism has come to denote an individual’s need or desire for material objects (Richins and Dawson 1992). Richins and Dawson (1992) have even argued that at higher levels of materialism, an individual might be putting themselves at a certain level of risk. Belk (1984) suggests that for highly materialistic people, their possessions often determine extreme levels of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. There are numerous other examples in extant literature where materialism has been viewed in a negative light.