Materialistic Cues Boosts Personal Relative Deprivation.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Materialism is a value system prioritizing wealth and possessions.
• Personal relative deprivation (PRD) is the feeling of having less than one believes they deserve or are entitled to.
• Understanding the triggers of PRD is crucial for psychological well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of materialistic cues on perceptions of personal relative deprivation.
• To examine the emotional consequences associated with increased PRD.
• To explore the relationship between materialism and social comparison.

Main Methods:

• Three studies were conducted, involving environmental exposure (Study 1) and visual stimuli (Study 2 & 3).
• Participants were surveyed in different settings (luxury store vs. ordinary building) or shown different image types (luxurious goods vs. neutral scenes).
• Measures included assessments of personal relative deprivation and related emotional reactions.

Main Results:

• Exposure to materialistic cues significantly increased perceptions of personal relative deprivation.
• Individuals surveyed near a luxury store reported higher PRD than those near an ordinary building.
• Viewing images of luxury goods led to greater PRD compared to viewing neutral scenes.

Conclusions:

• Materialistic cues can trigger feelings of personal relative deprivation.
• These findings highlight the role of social comparison in the context of materialism.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the implications for emotional well-being and consumer behavior.