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Materialism is detrimental to academic engagement: Evidence from self-report surveys and linguistic analysis

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Abstract

Extensive research has shown that materialism is detrimental for one’s well-being. However, little is known about how materialism is associated with learning-related outcomes. In Study 1 (n = 466), we conducted a survey study and found that students who scored high in materialism had lower levels of academic engagement. In Study 2 (n = 59), we used the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) and found that students who wrote more about monetary concerns scored lower in terms of academic engagement. Results of the cross-sectional survey (Study 1) and the linguistic analysis (Study 2) provided converging evidence that materialism is negatively associated with academic engagement. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Ronnel B. King

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  1. Ronnel B. King
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Correspondence to Ronnel B. King.

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King, R.B. Materialism is detrimental to academic engagement: Evidence from self-report surveys and linguistic analysis. Curr Psychol 39, 1397–1404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9843-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9843-5

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