Effects of family structure and socialization on materialism: a life course study in Malaysia

Consumer researchers have had a long-standing interest in understanding the development of materialistic attitudes and values in different cultural settings. The life course approach, which has developed recently as an interdisciplinary program for studying various aspects of behavior, is used as an overarching framework for studying the development of materialism in Malaysia. Specifically, the paper first presents the general conceptual life course paradigm that serves as a blue print for discussing theoretical perspectives, organizing, integrating, and reporting consumer research on materialism. Next, hypotheses derived from life course perspectives are formulated, and a survey of 101young adults (ages 18 to 22) is used to test them. The findings suggest that the amount of television viewing and peer communication about consumption during adolescent years contribute to the development of materialistic values.