The role of theory of mind in how increasing preschoolers’ self-esteem affects their materialism: an experimental study

Abstract

Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that enhancing preschoolers’ self-esteem in the domains of competence and social acceptance would reduce materialistic tendencies, especially in children with a developed Theory of Mind (ToM). A total of 239 children, 107 girls and 132 boys from Polish preschools participated in an experimental design. Before conducting the main study, a pilot study with 67 preschool children (36 girls and 31 boys) was carried out to validate the effectiveness of the self-esteem manipulation, confirming its success in enhancing children’s state self-esteem in the targeted domains. The results of the main study supported the preregistered hypothesis, showing that self-esteem enhancement reduced materialism but only among children with well-developed ToM. These findings provide insight into how self-perceptions and cognitive abilities, such as ToM, influence materialistic tendencies in young children, highlighting the value of early interventions to foster self-esteem. The results suggest that boosting self-esteem can be an effective strategy for reducing materialistic tendencies in preschoolers, particularly for those with developed Theory of Mind.