The Influence of Consumer Socialization Variables on Attitude toward Advertising: A Comparison of African-Americans and Caucasians

Using the theory of consumer socialization, the authors explore factors that might shape attitudes toward advertising for African-American and Caucasian young adults. Though the African-American market is growing in importance to advertisers, little if any research has explored African-American perceptions of advertising. The theory of consumer socialization provides a conceptual framework for investigating variables that might influence attitudes toward advertising. African-American and Caucasian young adults were surveyed on various consumer socialization variables. Parental communication, peer communication, mass media, gender, and race were found to be related significantly to attitudes toward advertising. African-Americans watched more TV and had more positive attitudes toward advertising than their Caucasian counterparts.