Parental Style and Consumer Socialization of Children

This research focused on differences in parental consumer socialization tendencies. Previous research found only limited evidence that parents differ in their consumer socialization tendencies. However, psychological socialization theory suggested that parents could be grouped according to general parenting orientations. This implied that differences in consumer socialization tendencies could be predicted by parents' general socialization orientations. Self administered questionnaires were completed by mothers of children attending three elementary schools. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested the hypothesized three dimensional solution for the general socialization variables reasonably represented the data. The three dimensions were Warmth, Anxious Emotional Involvement, and Restrictiveness. Cluster analysis and subsequent comparisons led to identification of four parental styles (77% of the sample). These styles were Authoritative, Calm Authoritarian, Anxious Authoritarian, and Permissive. Mothers' consumer socialization variables were factored and six consumer socialization dimensions were identified: Child's Consumption Autonomy, Parent-Child Communication About Consumption, Mediation of the Media, Restriction of Consumption, Coviewing, and Total Child Income. Differences were found on all factors, except Child's Consumption Autonomy and Total Child Income. Most differences were between Authoritatives and Anxious Authoritarians. Authoritatives engaged in more consumer related interaction with their children, had more consumer socialization goals, made more media mediation and coviewing efforts, and were less positive about children's food advertising and advertising in general. Authoritatives also had more consumer socialization goals and engaged in more coviewing than Calm Authoritarians. Compared to Permissives, Authoritarians placed more restrictions on consumption behavior and made more media mediation efforts. Permissives engaged in more consumer related interaction with their children, had more consumer socialization goals, and restricted consumption behavior to a lesser extent than Anxious Authoritarians. Authoritatives used more information prior to making purchases than Anxious Authoritarians. Calm Authoritarians also used consumer guide books more than their Anxious counterparts. Anxious Authoritarians favored governmental intervention in the marketplace to a greater extent than Calm Authoritarians.