A Quantitative Investigation of the Possible Link Between Materialism and Narcissism
Madeline A. Rockouski
Research Methods (PSY 2400) Fall 2018
Belmont University
Abstract
Negative effects of anxiety, depression, vanity, impatience, and cupidity have manifested themselves as commonplace descriptors regarding the current social structure. Previous research suggests materialism and narcissism to be largely among these negative effects (MacDonald, 2015). Past literature also suggests possible cultural causality for these materialistic and narcissistic traits, including types of media (Kühne & Opree, 2016), autonomy (Boardley, Chatzisarantis, Matosic, Ntoumanis, Sedikides, & Stewart, 2017; Fourie, 2010; Gil, Johnson, & Leckie, 2016), and brand names (Awad & Youn, 2018; Jae Won & Seo Young, 2015). The current study looked at materialism and narcissism and sought to discover a possible positive relationship between them. The study included sixteen participants, all of whom were given an online survey testing their materialism and narcissism. No relationship was found between materialism and narcissism in the current study; however, limitations in sample size as well as many possible confounds are thought to have played a role in these findings due to the abundance of previous research indicating a relationship between materialism and narcissism. Future research should continue to look at the possible relationship between materialism and narcissism, and expand upon potential cultural causes for the relationship. Understanding how such negative traits are related is important in the knowledge it provides us on how to prevent these negative effects from increasing across the collective culture.
A Quantitative Investigation of the Possible Link Between Materialism and Narcissism
Amid a rising culture of idealizing social media, frivolous material possessions, and the Kardashians – today’s youth are bound to experience certain psychological ramifications. Pat MacDonald touches upon the effects to modern society by stating: “there are ever-increasing levels of anxiety and depression while greed, self-obsession, superficial relationships, arrogance and vanity are soaring,” (MacDonald, 2015). These increasing negative effects incentivize research which may aid in the alleviation of society’s contribution to them. Much of this research centering around topics of materialism and narcissism, as well as inspiring the research conducted in the current study.
A study conducted in 2016 investigated the impact that watching reality television has on adolescents’ and young adults’ measures of narcissism and materialism (Kühne & Opree, 2016). In accordance with the researchers’ hypotheses, a significant positive relationship was found between reality television viewing and narcissism, as well as reality television viewing and materialism (Kühne et. al., 2016). However, though all results were significant, some were only marginally so when controlling for age (Kühne et. al., 2016). In this case, it was discovered that adolescent narcissism and materialism both correlated positively and strongly with reality television consumption, whereas young adult measures of narcissism and materialism provided a weaker, positive correlation for both traits (Kühne et. al., 2016). Researchers Suzanna Johanna Opree and Rinaldo Kühne propose that these differences may be a result of younger viewers being more susceptible to reality television’s influence due to a lack of instilled or firm beliefs when compared with older viewers (2016). Relating to the notion of impressionability among younger participants is another study that looks at the impact teenagers’ self-concepts have on their sense of materialism (Gil, Johnson, & Leckie, 2016).
The study found that independence was positively correlated with materialism (Gil et. al., 2016). Interestingly, this did not coincide with researchers Gil, Leckie, and Johnson’s hypothesis that higher independence would translate into less materialism among teenagers (2016). Furthermore, their hypothesis surrounding interdependent self-construals being an indicator of greater materialism was only partially supported in that group dependency had a positive relationship with materialism (Gil et. al., 2016).
In addition to materialism, a 2010 journal discusses the link between independence and narcissism (Fourie, 2010). Its author, David P. Fourie, explains the narcissistic tendency to exhibit “ambivalent autonomy” due to narcissists’ conflicting needs of standing out whilst still receiving affirmation from others (2010). Relatedly, another study explored the relationship between narcissism and independence by observing the coaching styles of narcissists (Boardley, Chatzisarantis, Matosic, Ntoumanis, Sedikides, & Stewart, 2017). Researchers observed that narcissistic coaches often exhibited controlling behaviors, supporting their hypothesis, but that autonomy-supportive behaviors were also exhibited when empathetic concern (as opposed to dominance) toward the players was present (Boardley et. al., 2017). These findings indicate the seemingly apparent, yet complex, relationship between narcissism and autonomy.
In relation to materialism, a 2015 study sought to uncover the supposed differences in consumer behavior between individuals high in narcissism and individuals high in self-efficacy (Jae Won & Seo Young, 2015). It was found that those high in narcissism were more attracted to visual aspects of products, as opposed to those high in self-efficacy who were more drawn to product functionality (Jae Won et. al. 2015). Researchers also found that narcissistic individuals preferred displays that showcased a specific brand rather than displays which showcased a particular type of product (Jae Won et. al. 2015). Corresponding to these findings is another study which looked at narcissism and brand names (Awad & Youn, 2018). In this study, researchers, Awad and Youn, found that narcissists do possess a certain proclivity toward brand names, but only when those brand names possess an arrogant personality themselves (2018).
These discoveries, in addition to all previously mentioned findings, inspire the research being conducted in the current study. The current study will consist of participants taking an online, self-reported survey inquiring about personal levels of materialism and narcissism. Based on previous research, it is predicted that participants who score highly on materialism will also score highly on narcissism.
Method
Participants
The study included 16 participants, all of whom were undergraduate psychology students enrolled in a Research Methods course. Participants were all between the ages of 19 and 22 (M age = 20), with 12 of the participants being female and 4 being male. Of the participants, 62.5 percent identified as white or Caucasian, 12.5 percent identified as Hispanic, 6.25 percent identified as Caucasian/Middle Eastern, 6.25 percent identified as both Caucasian and African American, 6.25 percent identified as African American, and 6.25 percent identified as “Other.”
Procedures
Participants were first emailed a link to an online survey that they were asked to follow and complete on their personal computers or electronic devices. The survey included four questionnaires, each ranging from 1 to 15 questions regarding participants’ personal degrees of materialism and narcissism. Before completing the survey, participants were asked to fill out a 3-question demographic questionnaire inquiring about age, gender, and race. After completing and submitting the survey, participants were thanked for their contribution to the study. Random assignment was not used, and all participants completed the same survey due to the study’s correlational design and lack of multiple conditions.
Materials
Four questionnaires were used in an online survey that was created using Qualtrics, an online survey software. One of the questionnaires used was the Material Values Scale (MVS), which is an empirically tested measurement for materialism (Richins, 2004), with a five-point Likert scale structure. The current study used the shorter, nine-item version of the MVS as opposed to the original, eighteen-item scale. The nine-item MVS showed to be a reliable measure with a Cronbach’s alpha of .632 (M = 2.79, SD = .62). Another questionnaire employed in the current study was the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-16 (NPI-16), which is a shortened, sixteen-item adaption of the original NPI-40 (Ames, Anderson, & Rose, 2005). The NPI-16 consists of sixteen, paired-item statements from which participants choose the item they agree with most. For example, an item pair may include statements such as, “I wish to improve myself” and “I am a great person,” with the selection of the second item (“I am a great person”) indicating narcissism. The NPI-16 has been shown to be a reliable and valid predictive measure for narcissism (Ames et. al., 2005), from which the current study pulled fifteen items (M = 3.50, SD = .63) and evinced a Cronbach’s alpha of .765 after reverse scoring for seven items.
In addition to these two previously researched scales (Richins, 2004; Ames, Anderson, & Rose, 2005), the current study also used two self-generated questionnaires that measured for either materialism or narcissism. The first questionnaire (M = 1.28, SD = .20) consisted of three statements relating to narcissism (an example being, “First impressions matter.”) with which participants stated their agreement along a five-point Likert scale (1 = Highly Disagree, 5 = Highly Agree). This measure of narcissism had a Cronbach’s alpha of .385, indicating that the scale was unreliable. The second self-made questionnaire tested for materialism (M = 1.48, SD = .24) using a six paired-item scale in which participants indicated which of two brands they preferred (e.g. Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods). However, this materialism scale was shown to be unreliable due to its Cronbach’s alpha of .340.
Results
It was predicted that participants who scored highly on materialism would also score highly on narcissism. Results were analyzed using version 25 of SPSS, a statistics processing software. A bivariate correlation test was used to test the relationship between each measure of materialism and narcissism. The MVS and NPI-16 were found to be unrelated, r = .271, p > .05. The MVS was also found to be unrelated with the self-made narcissism scale, r = 239, p > .05. The self- made materialistic-items scale had no relationship with the NPI-16, r = .178, p > .05. Finally, the self-made materialistic-items scale and self-made narcissism scale were once again shown to have no significant relationship, r = .315, p > .05. According to the data, materialism and narcissism cannot be linked to one another.
Discussion
The results did not support the predicted outcome of materialism having a positive relationship with narcissism. However, when considering past literature that supports this hypothesis (Awad & Youn, 2018; Jae Won & Seo Young, 2015; Kühne & Opree, 2016; MacDonald, 2016), an investigation of the current study’s limitations seems pertinent.
The current study was limited, in part, by its small sample size. With only sixteen participants, the current study was unable to properly aggregate its results, possibly leading to its inconsistent findings with past literature. Additionally, the sample’s size, as well as its lack of diversity, prevents it from gaining a high external validity due to its lack of representation. With 75 percent of participants identifying as female, and 62.5 percent identifying as white, the sample is very limited in who it represents and, therefore, may not be applicable to the general population.
A possible confound within the study is the lack of internal reliability of the self-made questionnaires. By using unreliable measures to test participants’ materialism and narcissism, the results may be skewed on account of participants being inconsistent in their response patterns. Furthermore, if participants accurately assessed what the surveys were testing for, they may have ceased providing accurate self-reports and resorted to faking good by choosing whichever answers they viewed as more socially desirable. This could be especially true when considering the relationship between the researchers and the participants, who are all part of the same Research Methods course. If participants felt there was any possibility for their anonymity to be broken, they may have reported their answers differently. This even more so for any participants falling into the minority demographic categories. With such a small sample, and the vast majority of that sample being female and white, there is an increased likelihood of researchers being able to uncover minority participants’ identity, perhaps leading individuals in those categories to score themselves inaccurately out of fear of appearing undesirable by their peers.
It is with consideration to these limitations, possible confounds, and previous studies that suggestions for future research are to revisit the possible link between materialism and narcissism, and to possibly expand the research question to include other personality traits congruent with the current culture. It is also suggested that future research take potential cultural causes into account and include them in the research. Modern society is a breeding ground for negative traits, such as materialism and narcissism, and it is important to research the relationships and possible causes of these negative traits in order to dispel them from today’s culture.
References
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