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Television exposure, consumer culture values, and lower well-being among preadolescent children: the mediating role of consumer-focused coping strategies

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posted on 2023-06-09, 17:24 authored by Charlotte Dunkeld, Mark L Wright, Robin BanerjeeRobin Banerjee, Matthew EasterbrookMatthew Easterbrook, Lance Slade
Previous research has linked materialism to lower well-being in children, and recent findings suggest that this link is heightened among those exposed to high levels of advertising. One proposal is that children may be pursuing consumer culture ideals (CCIs) – orienting to material possessions and physical appearance – as a maladaptive coping strategy for dealing with underlying distress. The present work offers the first direct evaluation of this theoretically plausible hypothesis. In Study 1, higher scores on our measure of consumer-focused coping (CFC) not only predicted lower well-being in a sample of 109 9- to 11-year-olds, but also served as mediator in the indirect link between the number of hours spent watching television and lower well-being. Study 2 tested our expanded model of these processes in a sample of 380 9- to 11-year-olds. Specifically, structural equation modelling revealed that frequency of watching commercial (advertising-rich) television in particular predicted greater CFC. This, in turn, predicted greater endorsement of CCIs, which then predicted lower well-being. Implications for theoretical models and educational interventions are discussed.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

British Journal of Social Psychology

ISSN

0144-6665

Publisher

British Psychological Society

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-03-28

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2020-04-03

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-03-27

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