Materialism, Brand Consciousness and Psychological Distress among University Students

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between materialism, brand consciousness and psychological distress among university students in Pakistan. A sample of 190 was recruited through convenience sampling and data were collected using standardized scales i.e. Measures Values Scale, Brand Consciousness Scale and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Pearson Correlation results revealed that materialism was negatively related with both brand consciousness and psychological distress whereas brand consciousness showed a significant positive relation with psychological distress. Regression analysis further gave insights that brand consciousness and psychological distress significantly predicted materialism with the overall model accounting for 60% variance. These findings diverge from prior research, suggesting that economic and cultural factors may shape the relationship between materialism and well-being in distinct ways within Pakistani context.