Media, Parent, and Peer Influences in Teen Food Shopping

Recently validated normative versus informative interpersonal influence susceptibility scales were extended to study the pattern of parent, peer and media influences that teens receive during food shopping. Ordinary versus special food shopping contexts were distinguished. Major findings from a sample of teens from two schools indicate that parents and media exert significant informative rather than normative influences on teens during both ordinary and special food shopping. Parents, however, influence teens both informatively and normatively more during special than during ordinary food shopping. The marketing implications of these findings are indicated.