Self-Esteem, Social Comparison and Materialism in University Students

Aim of the Study: This study investigates the relationship among self-esteem, social comparison, and materialism in university students. It hypothesized that (a) self-esteem is negatively correlated to social comparison and positively correlated to materialism, (b) social comparison mediates the relationship between self-esteem and materialism, and (c) gender differences exist in self-esteem, social comparison, and materialism. Methodology: The study used a correlational research design and a purposive sampling method to obtain a sample of 265 undergraduate students (133 males and 132 females) recruited from two government universities. The assessment tools included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Iowa Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM), and Material Value Scale (MVS), along with a demographics form. Statistical analyses encompassed descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson r correlations, independent sample t-tests, and mediation analysis. Findings: The results revealed that social comparison partially mediated the link between self-esteem and materialism. Furthermore, there were notable gender disparities that indicated men were more materialistic than women. Conclusion: The results imply that a greater inclination towards social comparison lowers self-esteem, which in turn causes university students to become more materialistic. Since males are usually seen as the providers of money, the gender disparities that have been identified could stem from societal norms. These findings indicate the necessity for programs aimed at nurturing self-esteem and reducing materialistic mindset among university students and provide valuable insight into the psychological factors that contribute towards materialism.