Longitudinal Relations Between Identity Development and Materialism Among Korean College Freshmen

College freshmen are in a transitional phase, exploring options and making key decisions that shape their identity and values. While identity development and materialism may influence one another during this period, research examining the temporal relations between these constructs remains limited. To address this gap, the present study explored longitudinal associations between identity development and materialism among first-year Korean college students. Data were collected from 641 participants (Mage = 19.13, range = 18–24; 48% female) who completed measures of identity development and materialism across four time points over two academic semesters and analyzed using the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model. It was found that significant cross-lagged effects appeared only in the path from materialism to identity development between Time 3 and Time 4. Specifically, increases in materialism predicted subsequent increases in disturbed identity and lack of identity. These findings suggest that individuals with greater preoccupation with materialistic values at the beginning of the second semester experienced increased identity uncertainty and feelings of inner emptiness by the end of the semester.