Relational and Sexual Costs of Materialism in Couple Relationships: An Actor–Partner Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This study examined the relational and sexual costs of materialism in couple relationships. Path analyses utilizing an actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) based on social comparison theory longitudinally predicted relationships across three waves of data over two years. Respondents included 338 couples (married and cohabiting) who participated in three waves of the (Day et al. 2016) Project. Women’s goods materialism at Time 2 was also directly related to their own (positively) and their partner’s (negatively) sexual satisfaction at Time 3. Men’s image materialism at Time 2 was directly and negatively related to their own commitment at Time 2 and their goods materialism at Time 2 was directly and negatively related to their own Time 2 relationship satisfaction. We also identified negative indirect associations between men’s T2 image and goods materialism and men’s and women’s T3 relationship satisfaction. This study provided evidence of the concurrent and longitudinal associations of materialism and relationship and sexual satisfaction using dyadic data. Implications for family life educators and therapists are explored.