Family Structure, Parent‐Child Communication, and Adolescent Participation in Family Consumer Tasks and Decisions

Abstract

From the theoretical perspective of consumer socialization, this exploratory study examined the single‐parent family context with respect to adolescent participation in family consumer activities. Specifically, the relationships between family structure, parent‐child communication as related to consumer issues, and adolescent participation in family consumer tasks and decisions were studied. Findings confirmed that family structure is related to parent‐child communication and to adolescent participation in tasks and decisions. Social style of parent‐child communication acts as a moderating variable in the relationship between family structure and adolescent participation in family consumer decisions.

The Identification of Family Social Environment Typologies Using Latent Class Analysis: Implications for Future Family-Focused Research

“…This is inconsistent with previous published research. The majority of previous research studies have reported that single-parent families have a less hierarchical communication style with less clearly differentiated boundaries compared with two-parent families (Arditti, 1999;Lachance et al, 2000;Walker & Hennig, 1997). However, unlike our study, the number of children or their age distribution was not accounted for in those previous studies.…”

Money Talks: Revealing and Concealing Financial Information in Families

“…Bailey and Lown (1993) found that children who grew up in middle-class homes experienced less parental communication about finances than those in the highest-income families. Meanwhile, Lachance, Legault, and Bujold (2000) found that teens in single-family homes were more involved in consumer decisions. Children with wealthier and better educated parents are more financially literate than those with less well off and less educated parents, possibly because wealthier parents are more aware of the importance of financial education (Mandell, 2008).…”

Social Learning Opportunities and the Financial Behaviors of College Students

“…In addition, youngsters appear to acquire a variety of other consumption-related orientations and skills from their parents. Parental influence on the consumer behavior of their offspring is situation specific; it varies across products, stages in the decision-making process, and consumer characteristics (Danes, 1994;Lachance, Legault, & Bujold, 2000;Lyons et al, 2006;McNeal, 1987;Moschis, 1985Moschis, , 1987. Danes (1994) specifies the family as ''the context in which children learn about financial knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices'' and specifies parents as the ''primary agent for financial socialization' ' (p. 132).…”