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Materialism, placing a high value on money and possessions, can influence many areas of life, including family relationships. While past research has linked materialism to decreased well-being and relationship satisfaction, less is known about how it impacts the bond between parents and children. Understanding this connection is important for families and clinicians seeking to promote healthy relationships.
What did we want to know?
The purpose of this study was to examine how parental materialism relates to parent–child relationship quality over time. Researchers also explored whether parental psychological control (e.g., guilt, manipulation, or emotional pressure) affects this relationship. Additionally, the study compared differences between mothers and fathers.
What did we do?
Researchers used data from 254 families participating in a long-term study of family life. Each family included a mother, father, and child. Data was collected over multiple years through surveys and observations of interactions between parents and children. Researchers measured:
Parental materialism (focus on possessions and status)
Psychological control (manipulative or controlling parenting behaviors)
Parent–child relationship quality (observed interactions like warmth and communication)
What did we find?
Several important findings emerged:
Materialism Impacts Fathers More Than Mothers: Fathers who reported higher levels of materialism tended to have worse relationships with their children over time. In contrast, mothers’ materialism was not significantly related to their relationship with their children.
Psychological Control Harms Relationships: Higher levels of psychological control were linked to poorer parent–child relationships for both mothers and fathers. Controlling behaviors such as guilt or emotional pressure negatively affected relationship quality.
No Combined Effect: Psychological control did not strengthen or weaken the relationship between materialism and parent–child relationships. Instead, both factors independently influenced relationship quality.
What does this mean?
Materialism does not affect all parents in the same way. For fathers, prioritizing money and possessions may divert time and energy away from relationships with their children, leading to weaker bonds. For mothers, materialism may not have the same negative effects, possibly because they use resources in ways that benefit the family or maintain emotional connection despite a work or financial focus. While striving for financial success is common, prioritizing relationships and reducing controlling behaviors may be key to maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Understanding how values around money interact with parenting can help families create healthier, more connected relationships.
Clinicians working with families should consider how values around money and material success may influence parenting and relationships. Fathers, in particular, may benefit from reflecting on how a strong focus on financial success or possessions could impact their connection with their children. Clinicians can also help parents reduce psychologically controlling behaviors and instead promote healthy communication, emotional support, and autonomy.
Materialism can shape family relationships in important ways, especially for fathers. Overall, the findings suggest that materialism can have complex and gender-specific effects on family relationships.
