Tüketim Toplumunda Materyalist Değerler, Hedonik Alışveriş Değeri ve Yaşamın Anlamı

Abstract

Tüketim toplumunda maddi edinimler başarı, statü, kimlik ve mutluluk arayışıyla ilişkilendirilmektedir. Bu çalışma, anlam krizini sosyolojik bir yorum çerçevesi olarak ele alarak materyalist değerler, hedonik alışveriş değeri, yaşamda anlamın varlığı ve anlam arayışı arasındaki ilişkileri incelemektedir. X, Y ve Z kuşakları olarak etiketlenen yaş-temelli gruplar arasındaki farklılıklar da değerlendirilmiştir. Nicel ve kesitsel tasarım kapsamında veriler, Türkiye’de yaşayan 18–60 yaş aralığındaki 223 katılımcıdan çevrim içi anket yoluyla toplanmıştır. Korelasyon, doğrusal regresyon, bootstrap temelli dolaylı etki analizi ve grup karşılaştırmaları uygulanmıştır. Materyalist değerler hedonik alışveriş değeri ve anlam arayışıyla pozitif, yaşamda anlamın varlığıyla negatif ilişkili bulunmuştur. Hedonik alışveriş değeri her iki anlam boyutuyla iki değişkenli düzeyde anlamlı ilişkiler göstermiş, ancak materyalist değerler modele dâhil edildiğinde anlamlı özgün ilişkiler göstermemiştir. Dolaylı etkiler istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildir. Yaş-temelli farklılıklar anlamlı bulunmuş, ancak kesin kuşak etkileri olarak yorumlanmamıştır.

Keywords

• Materyalist Değerler
• Tüketim Toplumu
• Hedonik Alışveriş Değeri
• Yaşamın Anlamı
• Anlam Arayışı

Supporting Institution

Bu araştırma herhangi bir kurum veya kuruluş tarafından finansal olarak desteklenmemiştir.

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma için etik kurul onayı, Sakarya Uygulamalı Bilimler Üniversitesi Etik Kurulu’nun 13 Mayıs 2026 tarihli 68 sayılı toplantısında, 35 sayılı karar ile alınmıştır.

Materialistic Values, Hedonic Shopping Value, and Meaning in Life in Consumer Society

Abstract

In consumer society, material acquisitions are associated with success, status, identity, and the pursuit of happiness. This study examines relationships among materialistic values, hedonic shopping value, the presence of meaning, and the search for meaning, while treating the crisis of meaning as a sociological interpretive framework. Differences across age-based groups labeled Generations X, Y, and Z were examined. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected through an online survey of 223 participants aged 18–60 in Türkiye. Correlation, linear regression, bootstrap-based indirect-effect analysis, and group comparisons were conducted. Materialistic values were positively associated with hedonic shopping value and the search for meaning, and negatively associated with the presence of meaning. Hedonic shopping value showed significant bivariate associations with both meaning dimensions but no significant unique associations after controlling for materialistic values. Indirect effects were not statistically significant. Age-based differences were significant but were not interpreted as definitive generational effects.

Keywords

• Materialistic Values
• Consumer Society
• Hedonic Shopping Value
• Meaning in Life
• Search for Meaning

Supporting Institution

This research received no financial support from any institution or organization.

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Ethics Committee of Sakarya University of Applied Sciences at its 68th meeting held on May 13, 2026 (Decision No. 35).

References

1. Babin, B. J., Chebat, J. C., & Michon, R. (2004). Perceived appropriateness and its effect on quality, affect and behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 11(5), 287–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2003.09.002.
2. Babin, B. J., Darden, W. R., & Griffin, M. (1994). Work and/or fun: Measuring hedonic and utilitarian shopping value. Journal of Consumer Research, 20(4), 644–656. https://doi.org/10.1086/209376.
3. Bai, B., & Mo, Q. L. (2026). Our strong desire for materials is generated by spiritual deprivation: How do religious beliefs affect materialism among Chinese? Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 13, 464. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06834-8.
4. Dhandra, T. K. (2019). Achieving triple dividend through mindfulness: More sustainable consumption, less unsustainable consumption and more life satisfaction. Ecological Economics, 161, 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.03.021.
5. Dittmar, H., Bond, R., Hurst, M., & Kasser, T. (2014). The relationship between materialism and personal well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(5), 879–924. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037409.
6. Dittmar, H., & Isham, A. (2022). Materialistic value orientation and wellbeing. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, 101337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101337.
7. Gilovich, T., Kumar, A., & Jampol, L. (2015). A wonderful life: Experiential consumption and the pursuit of happiness. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(1), 152–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2014.08.004.
8. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2022). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage.

9. Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
10. Hook, J. N., Hodge, A. S., Zhang, H., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Davis, D. E. (2023). Minimalism, voluntary simplicity, and well-being: A systematic review of the empirical literature. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(1), 130–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.1991450.
11. Hüttel, A., Balderjahn, I., & Hoffmann, S. (2020). Welfare beyond consumption: The benefits of having less. Ecological Economics, 176, 106719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106719.
12. Jain, S., Banerjee, R., & Sharma, R. W. (2023). Meaning-oriented consumption: A systematic review and research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(6), 2305–2334. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12927.
13. Jaspers, E. D. T., Pandelaere, M., Pieters, R. G. M., & Shrum, L. J. (2023). Materialism and life satisfaction relations between and within people over time: Results of a three-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 33(3), 591–601. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1350.
14. Kasser, T. (2016). Materialistic values and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 489–514. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033344.
15. King, L. A., & Hicks, J. A. (2021). The science of meaning in life. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 561–584. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-072420-122921.
16. King, L. A., Hicks, J. A., Krull, J. L., & Del Gaiso, A. K. (2006). Positive affect and the experience of meaning in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(1), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.1.179.
17. Lo, O. T., Cheung, S. H., & Lai, V. K. W. (2025). Materialistic happiness is negatively associated with meaning in life: A serial double mediation model. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 66(1), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.13063.
18. Maxwell, S. E., & Cole, D. A. (2007). Bias in cross-sectional analyses of longitudinal mediation. Psychological Methods, 12(1), 23–44. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.12.1.23.
19. Mead, N. L., & Williams, L. E. (2022). Can’t buy me meaning? Lay theories impede people from deriving meaning and well-being from consumption. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, 101332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101332.
20. Moldes, O., & Ku, L. (2020). Materialistic cues make us miserable: A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence for the effects of materialism on individual and societal well-being. Psychology & Marketing, 37(10), 1396–1419. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21387.
21. Ozimek, P., Brailovskaia, J., Bierhoff, H. W., & Rohmann, E. (2024). Materialism in social media–more social media addiction and stress symptoms, less satisfaction with life. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 13, 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2024.100117.
22. Pandelaere, M. (2016). Materialism and well-being: The role of consumption. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 33–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.10.027.
23. Richins, M. L. (2004). The material values scale: Measurement properties and development of a short form. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(1), 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1086/383436.
24. Richins, M. L. (2013). When wanting is better than having: Materialism, transformation expectations, and product-evoked emotions in the purchase process. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1086/669256.
25. 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. https://doi.org/10.1086/209304.
26. Sirgy, M. J., Yu, G. B., Lee, D.-J., Joshanloo, M., Bosnjak, M., Jiao, J., Ekici, A., Atay, E. G., & Grzeskowiak, S. (2021). The dual model of materialism: Success versus happiness materialism on present and future life satisfaction. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 16(1), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-019-09763-8.
27. Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.1.80.
28. Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760802303127.
29. Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2.
30. Tarka, P., Harnish, R. J., & Babaev, J. (2022). From materialism to hedonistic shopping values and compulsive buying: A mediation model examining gender differences. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(4), 786–805. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2037.
31. Tosun, P., & Sezgin, S. (2021). Voluntary simplicity: A content analysis of consumer comments. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 38(5), 484–494. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-04-2020-3749.
32. Yanıklar, C., & Dinçel Yanık, G. (2024). Tüketim toplumunda tüketime sevk etme araçlarından biri olarak planlı eskitme üzerine sosyolojik bir tartışma. İmgelem, (15), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1569657.
33. Yurddaş, Ö. N., & Çakır, H. (2026). Toplumsal cinsiyet perspektifinden elektronik ticaretin tüketim kültürüne etkisi: Alışveriş davranışlarında kadın-erkek farklılıkları. İmgelem, (18), 177–210. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1836938.