Psychosocial factors correlated with sufficient consumption behavior of students in Thailand and Malaysia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the structural equation model of psychosocial factors related to sufficient consumption behavior between students in Thailand and Malaysia. For the sample of this study, 364 undergraduate students from Thailand and 360 from Malaysia were recruited, a total of 724 students. A series of 8 structured questionnaires with summated rating scales and 1 questionnaire on demographic characteristics were used to measure the aforementioned constructs of the hypothesized model. The findings are as follows: 1) The structural equation model of sufficient consumption behavior of the Thai and Malaysian students was adjusted. The sufficient consumption behavior was directly affected by materialism (-.54), attitude towards sufficient consumption behavior (.37), and character strengths (.21). The total causal variables accounted for 89% of the variance in the students’ sufficient consumption behavior. 2) There was a difference in the structural model of the causal factors between students in Thailand and Malaysia. The direct effect of future orientation & self control on their attitude towards sufficient consumption behavior was different, showing that the effect of students from Malaysia (.70) was higher than that of students from Thailand (.17). 3) Latent means of sufficient consumption behavior, attitude towards sufficient consumption behavior, materialism, future orientation & self control, character strengths, family upbringing, peer influence, and media influence among Malaysian students scored higher than the Thai students. © 2015 Canadian Center of Science and Education. All rights reserved.