Dispositional Gratitude as an Underlying Psychological Process Between Materialism and the Satisfaction and Frustration of Basic Psychological Needs: A Longitudinal Mediational Analysis

Valentina Reyes (), Wenceslao Unanue, Marcos Gomez, Diego Bravo, Jesús Unanue, Claudio Araya-Veliz and Diego Cortez
Additional contact information
Valentina Reyes: Universidad Diego Portales
Wenceslao Unanue: Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
Diego Bravo: Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
Jesús Unanue: Universidad Andres Bello
Claudio Araya-Veliz: Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
Diego Cortez: Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2022, vol. 23, issue 2, No 10, 586 pages

Abstract: Abstract Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has consistently shown that the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness are essential nutrients for optimal human functioning across a diverse range of domains such as family, sports, education and work. SDT has also found that materialism—the relative importance attached to extrinsic versus intrinsic life goals—not only reduces need satisfaction, but also increases need frustration. Yet, what psychological mechanisms explain this association remain unknown. We theorized that dispositional gratitude might play a role. Thus, we tested the longitudinal mediational effects of gratitude in the link between materialism and need satisfaction/frustration, using a three-wave longitudinal design over six months among a large sample of Chilean adults (N = 1841). Importantly, we used the two most established materialism scales: the Aspiration Index (AI) and the Material Values Scale (MVS). Results showed consistently (using either the AI or the MVS) that higher materialism at Time 1 prospectively predicts lower gratitude at Time 2, which in turn prospectively predicts lower need satisfaction and higher need frustration at Time 3. Our results extend SDT and gratitude research in important ways. First, we found a theoretically sound mechanism that accounts for the materialism—basic psychological needs link. Second, expanding on previous research, we found that (a) materialism increases need frustration over time directly, but also through the mediation of gratitude; (b) gratitude decreases need frustration. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: Gratitude; Materialism; Need satisfaction; Need frustration; Self-determination theory; Longitudinal mediation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-021-00414-0 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:23:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10902-021-00414-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... fe/journal/10902/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s10902-021-00414-0

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Happiness Studies is currently edited by Antonella Delle Fave

More articles in Journal of Happiness Studies from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().