Lonely in Love, Driven to Buy: How Perceived Partner Materialism Influences Loneliness and Consumption in Romantic Relationships

Loneliness is increasingly prevalent and carries significant consequences for well-being, yet it remains common even within romantic relationships. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and the Discrepancy Model of Loneliness, this research conceptualizes loneliness as arising when relationships fail to satisfy individuals’ need for relatedness, resulting in perceived gaps in closeness. Moving beyond prior work on value congruence, this research examines how perceptions of a partner’s materialism are associated with loneliness, relational outcomes, and consumption behavior. Results from a survey study ( N = 546) indicate that both perceived partner materialism and personal materialism are associated with greater loneliness, suggesting that unmet expectations for closeness, not value similarity, are linked to this experience. In contrast, perceived partner materialism is related to higher relationship satisfaction only among individuals who are themselves more materialistic. Perceived partner materialism and loneliness are also associated with compulsive buying and product retention tendency, even after controlling for personal materialism. Together, the findings highlight the role of perceived partner values in shaping both relationship experiences and consumer responses to unmet relational needs.