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Relationships between family communication and consumer activities of adolescents: An exploratory study

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Abstract

This study uses a multitrait, multi-informant approach to examine the relationships between family communication and adolescent involvement in consumer activity using two measures of family communication, one that measures the general quality of communication between parents and adolescents, and another that measures the frequency of consumption-specific communication between parents and adolescents. In addition, the perceptions of mothers, fathers, and adolescents are used in the analysis. Findings show that the two communication constructs are conceptually distinct. Positive relationships between the communication constructs and adolescents’ consumer activities are found; however, the presence of significant relationships depends on which individual family members’ or family member dyads’ perceptions are used in the analysis. On the basis of the findings, several suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iowa State University, Iowa, USA

    Kay M. Palan

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  1. Kay M. Palan
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Kay M. Palan is an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business at Iowa State University. The received her Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. Her research interests include consumer decision-making, adolescent influence in family decision-making, gender effects on consumption and advertising, and philosophy-of-science issues. Her work has appeared in theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Consumer Research, andPsychology & Marketing.

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Palan, K.M. Relationships between family communication and consumer activities of adolescents: An exploratory study. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 26, 338–349 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070398264006

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