Materialism, conspicuous consumption, and brand engagement in self-concept: a study of teenagers
Magdalena Kolańska-Stronka1, Oleg Gorbaniuk2,3
1Institute of Psychology, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland.
Background:
Contemporary adolescents, also known as Generation Z, are an important group of consumers due to the role they play in today's economy. The present study investigates the relationship between materialism and brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) and whether conspicuous consumption is a mediator of this relationship in early, middle, and late adolescence.
Participants And Procedure:
The participants were 581 students from Poland, aged 13 to 17 (M = 15 years, SD = 1.42); 51.6% of them were girls. Data were gathered using a demographic information form, the Youth Materialism Scale, the Conspicuous Consumption Scale, and a BESC Scale, completed during personal interviews.
Results:
The study indicated an association of higher materialism and higher conspicuous consumption with a higher level of BESC, where conspicuous consumption acts as a mediator of the correlation between materialism and BESC. Age also moderates this mediation, i.e., the older the teenagers are, the weaker is the analyzed mediation effect.
Conclusions:
The research is part of an essential step in understanding the mechanism of BESC by testing a moderated mediation model in teenagers.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
Self-Concept
Infancy and Emerging Recognition
During infancy, self-concept is virtually nonexistent. Babies do not distinguish themselves as separate entities and often mistake their...
Marcia's Theory of Identity Status
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Emerging Adulthood


