Factors to Predict Materialistic Values of Students in Bangkok Metropolitan Area

Abstract

     The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors predicting materialistic values in undergraduate students in the Bangkok metropolitan area. The materialistic values in this research were derived from Richins and Dawson’s concept, comprising 3 components: acquisition centrality, acquisition as the pursuit of happiness, and possession-defined success. Family context and social factors were used to predict materialistic values. In this survey research, questionnaires were collected from 620 students, and the data were analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis. The findings revealed that variations in materialistic values were better accounted for by social factors—susceptibility to peer influence and imitation of media celebrity — rather than family context. In family context, only family communication had an effect on student's materialistic values. The regression model accounted for 35 percent of the explained variation in materialistic values.