Of wealth and death: Materialism, mortality salience, and consumption behavior
Abstract
Theoretical work suggests that feelings of insecurity produce materialistic behavior, but most empirical evidence is correlational in nature. We therefore experimentally activated feelings of insecurity by having some subjects write short essays about death (mortality-salience condition). In Study 1, subjects in the mortality-salience condition, compared with subjects who wrote about a neutral topic, had higher financial expectations for themselves 15 years in the future, in terms of both their overall worth and the amount they would be spending on pleasurable items such as clothing and entertainment. Study 2 extended these findings by demonstrating that subjects exposed to death became more greedy and consumed more resources in a forest-management game. Results are discussed with regard to humanistic and terror-management theories of materialism.
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Kasser and Sheldon (2000) found that mortality salience increases materialism.
“Kasser and Sheldon (2000) found that mortality salience increases materialism.”
From “The greedy I that gives”—The paradox of egocentrism and altruism: Terror management and system justification perspectives on the interrelationship between mortality salience and charitable donations amid the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as Kasser and Sheldon (2000)
When mortality salience is induced, members of capitalist and materialistic cultures will increase their materialistic pursuits as a way of bolstering this worldview and reinforcing their belief that they are valuable members within this ideological framework.
“Therefore, when mortality salience is induced, members of capitalist and materialistic cultures, where accumulation of wealth and consumption of goods are touted as paths to a successful and happy life, will increase their materialistic pursuits as a way of bolstering this worldview and reinforcing their belief that they are valuable members within this ideological framework (Kasser & Sheldon, 200”
The terror management literature on people's monetary behaviors and attitudes reveals seemingly contradictory results suggesting that mortality salience paradoxically leads to both generosity and greed.
“However, since cultural norms often encourage both generosity and the accumulation of material wealth simultaneously, the terror management literature on people's monetary behaviors and attitudes reveals seemingly contradictory results suggesting that mortality salience paradoxically leads to both generosity (H2, H4a, H4b, and H4c) and greed (H4d and H4e) (Jonas et al., 2002; Jonas et al., 2013; K”
Terror management theories of materialism propose that mortality salience also increases materialistic behavior and greed.
“Terror management theories of materialism propose that mortality salience also increases materialistic behavior and greed (Kasser & Sheldon, 2000).”
Mortality salience amplifies greed and materialism.
“amplifies greed and materialism”
From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Kasser & Sheldon, 2000
In the absence of environmental contingencies, when participants imagined themselves owning a profit-seeking timber harvesting company, death reminders boosted wealth-oriented greed and intentions to harvest a greater percentage of limited forestland.
“when participants imagined themselves owning a profit-seeking timber harvesting company, death reminders boosted wealthoriented greed and intentions to harvest a greater percentage of limited forestland.”
From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Kasser and Sheldon, 2000
Participants assigned to mortality salience conditions evidence desire for material wealth.
“and desire for material wealth [10].”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [10]
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“In Kasser and Sheldon's second study (2000, Study 2), greed was measured by exposing participants to a fic-titious scenario in which they had to bid against competitors to harvest timber, they then had to rate how many acres they would harvest, and how much they would like to profit more than their…”
- Authors
- Kasser, T., & Sheldon, K. M.
- Affiliations
- Knox College (US)
- University of Missouri (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kasser, Tim
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2000-07
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 348-351
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- OpenAlex
- W2140864801
- Cited by
- 483
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 5.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Keywords
- materialism, mortality salience, terror management theory, humanistic theory, consumption behavior, insecurity, financial expectations, greed, resource consumption, death awareness
- MeSH terms
- Achievement, Adolescent, Adult, Arousal, Aspirations, Psychological, Attitude to Death, Fear, Female, Humans, Male, Motivation, Social Values, Socioeconomic Factors
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