The direct and interactive effects of materialism and hope on the well-being of Nigerians

Abstract

The individual influences of hope and materialism on subjective well-being have received substantial attention from scholars. However, most of the studies in this area were largely conducted in developed nations. Underdeveloped countries like Nigeria have remained understudied. In addition, despite apparent possible relationship between hope and materialism, there is dearth of studies on their possible interactive effect on well-being. Thus, the present study examined the independent as well as the joint influences of hope and materialism on the different dimensions of subjective well-being among Nigerians. Using a survey method, 325 undergraduates, comprising 208 females and 177 males, aged between 17 years and 37 years, with mean age of 22.19 (SD = 4.71), completed measures of hope, materialism, and subjective well-being. Data was analysed with regression technique. Consistent with previous findings, result confirmed the positive influence of hope on well-being. However, agency hope was a stronger predictor of well-being than the pathway hope. Interestingly and contrary to the popular perspective that materialism is often inimical to well-being, result revealed positive influence of materialism on flourishing and positivity. Generally, findings provide support for a theoretical perspective on the influence of hope and materialism that accommodates the importance of cultural variations and unique population characteristics. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future studies were discussed.