Self-esteem and materialism in preschool children: The role of theory of mind and parental material indulgence

Recent studies indicate that even preschool children can develop materialistic tendencies. In a sample of 219 children attending Polish preschools (47 % female, Mage = 65.30 months, SD = 12.18 months, all White) and their parents (84 % female, Mage = 38.27 years, SD = 4.78 years), we assessed children's materialism, self-esteem, theory of mind, and parental material indulgence. Moderation analyses revealed that the relation between self-esteem and materialism becomes apparent with the development of theory of mind (R2 = 0.15). Furthermore, we found that this effect may be amplified by high levels of parental material indulgence (R2 = 0.17 for the co-moderating model). Our findings provide new insights into how child development and parental behavior interact to influence a child's materialistic tendencies. •Materialism is said to be a compensation for low self-esteem.•We tested this relationship among preschoolers, controlling for their age.•This link becomes apparent with the development of theory of mind.•Parental material indulgence amplifies this relationship.