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The Relationship Between Materialism and Self-Transcendence in University Students Sample 02-relation between mate#AE5FE4 15/3/13 11:52 Page 13 ARAfiTIRMA/RESEARCH The Relationship Between Materialism and Self-Transcendence in University Students Sample Cemal Can Fatih University Institute of Social Sciences Master of Arts in Psychology Adres: Sincan Kaymakaml›¤› Sosyal Yard›mlaflma ve Dayan›flma Vakf› Hükümet Kona¤›, 06930 Sincan ANKARA Tel: +905303635419, Fax: +903122718584 E-Mail: [email protected] Special Thanks: I would like to thank my advisor Professor Kemal SAYAR for his generous and never ending support, intuition and inspiration. I am honestly grateful to Assistant Professor Samet KÖSE from Vanderbilt University for motivating me and guiding me with his suggestions and knowledge. This thesis would not have been possible without their contributions. ABSTRACT Purpose: A basic debate that has been frequently discussed is whether humankinds searching for happiness through material good is good or a bad thing. Many people wonder if more money, more leisure or more stuff would make them happier. In recent years number of studies has examined the relationship between materialism and well-being and there are some evidences that materialism is related to personality. Method: In this study, 143 university students completed a battery of questionnaires including Richins and Dawson’s material values scale, and Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory, Beck depression in- ventory, hopelessness scale and empathy quotient scale. Findings: Even though there is not a significant correlation between total self transcendence scores and ma- terialism scores; there is a significant negative correlation between the total materialism scores and the trans- personal identification facet of self transcendence (r =-.20, p<.05). There is also significant negative correla- tion between the transpersonal identification and the materialistic happiness (r =-.22, p<.01). Discussion and Conclusion: Another result of the study is that the students who have relatively high ma- terialism scores are likely to have low empathy scores. Keywords: materialism, well-being, personality, TCI, Cloninger’s psychobiological model ÖZET Üniversite Ö¤rencileri Örnekleminde Kendini Aflk›nl›k ve Maddiyatç›l›k ‹liflkisi Amaç: ‹nsanlar›n mutluk için maddi ç›karlar›n peflinde koflmas›n›n do¤ru olup olmad›¤› öteden beri tart›fl›la- gelmifltir. Ço¤u insan, daha çok mal-mülk sâhibi olmak, daha fazla bofl vakit geçirmek veya daha fazla çal›fl- mak konusunda karars›zd›r. Son zamanlarda maddiyatç›l›k ile esenlik aras›ndaki iliflkiyi inceleyen pek çok arafl- t›rma yap›lm›flt›r ve kiflilik özelliklerinin maddiyatç›l›k ve esenlik aras›ndaki iliflkide önemli belirleyicilerden ol- du¤u gösterilmifltir. Yöntem: Bu çal›flmada, 143 üniversite ö¤renci Richins ve Dawson’un maddiyatç›l›k ölçe¤ini ve Cloninger’in karakter ve mizaç envanterinin alt ölçe¤i olan kendini aflk›nl›k altölçe¤ini içeren kapsaml› bir soru formunu doldurdu. Bulgular: Kendini aflk›nl›k boyutu ile maddiyatç›l›k puanlar› aras›nda anlaml› bir iliflki bulunamamas›na ra¤- men, kendini aflk›nl›k boyutunun alt ölçeklerinden olan kiflileraras› özdeflim puanlar› ile maddiyatç›l›k puan- lar› aras›nda olumsuz iliflki gözlenmifltir (r=-.20, p<.05). Tart›flma ve Sonuç: Araflt›rman›n di¤er bir sonucu olarak maddiyatç›l›k puanlar› görece yüksek olanlar›n gö- rece düflük empati puan› ald›klar› gözlenmifltir (r=-.22, p<.01). Anahtar Kelimeler: maddiyatç›l›k, kiflilik, karakter, mizaç, Clonniger’in psikobiyoloyik modeli New/Yeni Symposium Journal • www.yenisymposium.net13 fiubat 2013 | Cilt 51 | Say› 1 02-relation between mate#AE5FE4 15/3/13 11:52 Page 14 INTRODUCTION siveness: “the inclination and tendency to retain cont- There is a huge amount of research concerning the rol or ownership of one’s possessions”, non-genero- historical investigation of human being for searching sity: “an unwillingness to give possessions to or sha- happiness through materialism. Researchers have tri- re possessions with others”, and envy: “desire for ot- ed to find out the reason that makes people happy, for hers possessions, be they objects, experiences or per- instance, is it money, leisure or working hard? sons”. He also found that a negative relationship bet- In United States, the homeland of materialism, ween materialism and happiness in life. Ger, Russell Myer (2000) reported that the number of people defi- and Belk (1990), reported interesting findings in their ned themselves as “very happy” had slightly declined cross-cultural studied implemented in Turkey, United between 1957 and 1998 and in this period the divorce States and France. They tested Belk’s materialism sca- rates doubled while teen suicide tripled. The argu- le and found that Turkish sample was the most mate- ment that higher income indicated higher happiness rialistic and most generous and most materialistic at was not always seemed to be true. Likewise, national the same time. This contradicts the view that materi- income per capita which is a standard measure for de- alism is a western phenomenon observed in develo- velopment of countries was 4322 USD in 1998 while it ped countries. was 10285 USD in 2008 in Turkey (TUIK, 2010). Altho- Materialism is defined by Csikszentmihaly (2005), ugh the statistics showed that people are getting ric- as the tendency to reserve most of the attention for her, it is questionable if they are getting happier. goals that include material goods like willingness to own them, consume them, or exhibit them. A person Materialism is materialist when he invests his psychic energy in In recent years, theoreticians and researchers from materialistic objects and their symbolic meanings we- different disciplines tried to understand the effect of alth, status, and power based on possessions. There- materialism on people, cultures and behaviors. The fore this person sees life mainly from the perspective relationship between materialism and life satisfaction of materialistic experiences. For a materialistic person had been examined in previous research. However, object is not just an object. This person aims to reach there were few studies which try to figure out the re- goals that begin with that object but pass beyond the lationship between materialism and personality. object itself. Owning an object doesn’t mean just ow- Materialism is defined in Macmillan Contempo- ning the functions of it but to use the object as a brid- rary Dictionary (1986), in two different ways. The ge to happy life. Csikszentmihaly has two description first meaning refers to a philosophical doctrine; of materialism in respect of its effects. Instrumental “everything that exists is either composed of matter materialism is relatively harmless form in which the or depends on matter for its existence”. The second person sees objects as necessary means for discove- definition refers to the popular use of the term; “ten- ring and improving personal values and strengthe- dency to be unduly concerned with material rather ning interpersonal relationships. Terminal materi- than intellectual or spiritual things”. alism on the other hand is a potentially destructive Although the popular meaning of materialism is form in which the desire for more possessions run out different from philosophical usage, Richins and Rud- of control and consumption mere goal is the con- min (1994) suggested that people who were materi- sumption itself and noting more. alistic mostly counted on physical (material) posses- Richins and Dawson (1992), defines materialism sions as a route to abstract constructs such as happi- as a value that is valid in a variety of situations and ness, status, and social competences. They thought not just consumption issues namely is a guide for they need to have “material good” to be happy. This person’s choices. Materialism as a value influences dependency on material objects reminds the philo- preferences of good purchased but it also influences sophical use of the term. the allocation of that person’s resources, including ti- Belk (1985) defines materialism as “the importan- me, money or labor. ce a consumer attaches to worldly possessions”. Such Four main specifications of materialistic people possessions are assumed that they have a central pla- are described by Richins and Dawson (1992). The va- ce in a person’s life at the highest levels of materi- luation to acquire wealth and possessions is signifi- alism. These possessions are the main source of satis- cantly higher for materialistic people than the others. faction and dissatisfaction. Secondly, materialistic people can be evaluated as According to Belk (1985), there are three main per- self-centered. Thirdly material complexity is an es- sonality traits related to materialistic people; posses- sential fact for materialist people which means that New/Yeni Symposium Journal • www.yenisymposium.net14 fiubat 2013 | Cilt 51 | Say› 1 02-relation between mate#AE5FE4 15/3/13 11:52 Page 15 materialist people over invest in material goods. Fi- ment is still a current consideration. As a matter of nally materialists can never be satisfied with what fact discretionary time management and incensement they have; they always want more and more. is an indication of being a developed country. This ti- Kasser and Ryan (1993) studied deeply the relative me and money supposed to be used as means to pur- importance of attaining financial goals comparative suit of happiness. But how will these resources lead to to other life domains. To measure the materialism happiness. According to Boven and Gilovich (2003) they developed a new scale taking into accounts this this has to be by the way of acquisition of life experi- relative importance, called ‘aspiration index’. These ences more than acquisition of more material goods. measures contained rating aspirations on their perso- In other words they put the old dilemma to be or to nal importance and the likelihood they will be reali- do as to do or to have. For them it is to do that leads zed. In their aspiration index they intended to inclu- to a “good life”.
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