Belk Materialism Scales

What it measures

The original multidimensional materialism measure, validated in student (n=237) and mixed adult samples (n=338). Overall 24-item alpha 0.66–0.73. Subscale alphas: Possessiveness 0.57–0.68, Nongenerosity 0.58–0.72, Envy 0.64–0.80. Test-retest (subsample n=48): Possessiveness 0.87, Nongenerosity 0.64, Envy 0.70. All three subtraits correlate negatively with happiness (rapprox.–0.26) and life satisfaction (rapprox.–0.24). Ger & Belk (1990) identified a fourth cross-cultural dimension ('tangiblization'/'preservation') in international samples. The Richins & Dawson (1992) MVS (id:487) generally supersedes the Belk scale for most research, but the Belk scale remains valuable when possessiveness and nongenerosity are theoretically central.

Response format

5-point Likert (1=agree to 5=disagree); items summed within subtraits and overall. Many items require reverse scoring.

Scale items

Possessiveness (items 1–9) — inclination to retain control or ownership of possessions. Scored 1=agree to 5=disagree. Items marked * require reverse scoring.

• Renting or leasing a car is more appealing to me than owning one. *
• I tend to hang on to things I should probably throw out.
• I get very upset if something is stolen from me, even if it has little monetary value.
• I don't get particularly upset when I lose things. *
• I am less likely than most people to lock things up. *
• I would rather buy something I need than borrow it from someone else. *
• I worry about people taking my possessions.
• When I travel, I like to take a lot of photographs.
• I never discard old pictures or snapshots.

Nongenerosity (items 10–16) — unwillingness to give or share possessions. Scored 1=agree to 5=disagree. Items marked * require reverse scoring.

• I enjoy having guests stay in my home. *
• I enjoy sharing what I have. *
• I don't like to lend things, even to good friends.
• It makes sense to buy a lawnmower with a neighbor and share it. *
• I don't mind giving rides to those who don't have a car. *
• I don't like to have anyone in my home when I'm not there.
• I enjoy donating things to charity. *

Envy (items 17–24) — displeasure at others' superior possessions or success. Scored 1=agree to 5=disagree. Items marked * require reverse scoring.

• I am bothered when I see people who buy anything they want.
• I don't know anyone whose spouse or steady date I would like to have as my own. *
• When friends do better than me in competition, it usually makes me happy for them. *
• People who are very wealthy often feel they are too good to talk to average people.
• There are certain people I would like to trade places with.
• When friends have things I cannot afford it bothers me.
• I don't seem to get what is coming to me.
• When Hollywood stars or prominent politicians have things stolen, I really feel sorry for them. *

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Note the REVERSED scale direction: 1=agree to 5=disagree. Items marked (*) require reverse coding before summing. Overall scale M=73.4 in n=338 sample; subscale means: Possessiveness M=32.86, Nongenerosity M=18.74, Envy M=21.74. The Ger & Belk (1990) cross-cultural version uses a subset of items and adds a Tangiblization subscale (items 2, 8 plus three new items). Cross-cultural note: possessiveness is the most stable dimension across countries; nongenerosity and envy alphas are weaker in some national samples.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Belk, R.W. (1985). Materialism: Trait aspects of living in the material world. Journal of Consumer Research, 12(3), 265–280.

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