Abstract
We opened Part III: (The Social Perspective) with an examination of the effect that the family has on our consumer behaviour. Our family is, of course, our first experience of group life and forms the psychological prototype for our dealings with any other group. Its psychological importance cannot be overestimated, yet in terms of consumer behaviour its influences are probably much more general than specific. If we are interested in the specific consumer choices of adults we also need to consider the influences of all the other groups that we come into contact with, and that is the subject of the present chapter.
I wouldn’t belong to any group that would have me as a member (Groucho Marx).
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Further Reading
Aronson, E., The Social Animal, 6th edn (New York: Freeman, 1992). The best and most readable introduction to the study of small groups and their implications for society.
Clausen, J. (ed.), Socialization and Society (Boston: Little, Brown, 1968). A good overview of the way individuals are linked to their society via small group membership.
Rogers, E. M., Diffusion of Innovations, 3rd edn (New York: Free Press, 1983). Includes an account of the way group life influences the diffusion of innovations. Rogers is one of the leading researchers in this field.
Robertson, T. and H. Kassarjian (eds), Handbook of Consumer Behavior (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1991). The authoritative guide to theories and concepts in consumer behaviour. This edition contains some useful articles on the influence of group life.
Swap, W. C. and Associates (eds), Group Decision Making (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1984). A detailed and technical overview of the way groups arrive at decisions in a wide variety of situations.
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© 1997 David A. Statt
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Statt, D.A. (1997). The Influence of Small Groups. In: Understanding the Consumer. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25438-5_10
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