The influence of religiosity on the materialism of catholics from Santa Catarina

Abstract

There are several aspects, from rational to emotional, that influence consumers. One of these aspects is the value given to obtain possessions, the defining trait of materialism. Religion and religiosity are also related to the individual's psychological, social and emotional well-being. Taking into consideration that majority of the Brazilian population declares themselves as Catholics, this article aims to analyze the impact of religion on materialism among Catholic faithful living in the state of Santa Catarina. For the study, 272 questionnaires, applied online, were collected and contained two scales: the Brazilian Scale of Material Values and the Duke Religious Index. It was found that there was no significant correlation between gender, age and income with materialism. However, Catholics who have high intrinsic religiosity - linked to psychological factors and personal convictions - have a lower degree of materialism than those who have low intrinsic religiosity. Showing that the degree of materialism can be influenced by personal beliefs when lived intrinsically, but the data cannot be generalized. It also suggests that researches containing subjects with low religiosity or no religion should be compared to the study group.