If they are prostitutes, why are they happy? Material correlates of satisfaction with life

Abstract

This study aimed to know the relationship between consumer goods purchased and life satisfaction of sex workers from Joao Pessoa, PB. The influence of this relationship on life satisfaction is something that has not been studied empirically. Participants were 100 prostitutes with aged ranging from 18 to 46 years (m = 26.2, sd = 7.00), most of them unmarried (71%) and with child (73%). They answered the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Inventory of Consumer Goods, and demographic questions. Results showed a positive correlation between consumer goods and life satisfaction (r = 0.42), with consumer goods showing evidences of mediating the relationship of life satisfaction with amount charged for each sexual program. These findings were discussed in light of evidence about the importance of material goods to promote subjective well-being in a context of scarcity, stating that future studies may contribute in this area.