When the Going Gets Tough the Materialistic Go Shopping: Materialism and Consumption Response to Stress

Recent consumer research has examined the influence of existential insecurity on a variety of consumption-related behaviors. Drawing upon Terror Management Theory, this research suggests that in times of upheaval and stress people often seek relief via shopping and consumption (Arndt, et al., 2004; Mathwick, et al. 2001 Rindfleisch et al., 2009). Unfortunately, research indicates that consumption provides little benefit to materialistic individuals (Belk, 1985; Burroughs & Rindfleisch 2002; Richins & Dawson 1992). Thus, it might be the case that materialism may actually make bad events even worse. Our research explores this question. Specifically, we suggest that highly stressful life events (such as a terrorist attack) will generate higher levels of post-traumatic stress (PTS) among materialistic individuals compared to their less materialistic counterparts. Furthermore, we theorize that materialistic individuals will also exhibit higher levels of maladaptive consumption behavior such as compulsive consumption and impulsive buying. In other words, we focus on the moderating effect of materialism on the relationships between PTS and the maladaptive consumption behavior. As such, we extend previous research that largely centers on direct negative outcomes of materialism, by examining the indirect (moderated) effect materialism, which makes negative outcomes even worse.