Materialism Values Scale

What it measures

Measures materialism as a value system characterised by the centrality of possessions to one's life and identity, the belief that possessions are central to happiness, and the use of possessions as markers of success. The most widely used materialism measure in consumer research.

Response format

Likert (1–5, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

Centrality — the extent to which material possessions are central to one's life (Likert 1–5)

• I usually buy only the things I need. (R)
• I try to keep my life simple, as far as possessions are concerned. (R)
• The things I own say a lot about how well I'm doing in life.
• I enjoy spending money on things that aren't practical.
• Buying things gives me a lot of pleasure.
• I like a lot of luxury in my life.
• I put less emphasis on material things than most people I know. (R)

Happiness — belief that possessions lead to happiness and life satisfaction (Likert 1–5)

• I have all the things I really need to enjoy life. (R)
• My life would be better if I owned certain things I don't have.
• I wouldn't be any happier if I owned nicer things. (R)
• I'd be happier if I could afford to buy more things.
• It sometimes bothers me quite a bit that I can't afford to buy all the things I'd like.

Success — using possessions as a measure of success (Likert 1–5)

• I don't place much emphasis on the amount of material objects people own as a sign of success. (R)
• I admire people who own expensive homes, cars, and clothes.
• Some of the most important achievements in life include acquiring material possessions.
• The things I own aren't that important to me. (R)
• I don't pay much attention to the material objects other people own. (R)
• Acquiring material possessions is one of my most important life goals.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Three subscale scores and a total. Higher scores = greater materialism. Associated with lower wellbeing, higher compulsive buying, and greater environmental impact. The MVS-6 (Richins, 2004) is a freely available 6-item short form widely used for brevity. Original 18-item version has superior reliability.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Richins, M.L., & Dawson, S. (1992). A consumer values orientation for materialism and its measurement: Scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(3), 303–316.

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