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Title

Children as agents of secondary socialisation for their parents

Author(s)

Watne, Torgeir;  Lobo, Antonio;  Brennan, Linda

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge associated with consumer socialisation. The authors investigate how children function as socialisation agents for their parents in influencing their purchase intentions of computer and high-tech products---essentially the idea of the young educating the old. A review of the extant literature relating to consumer socialisation, social power and knowledge about computer related and small high-tech products yielded meaningful hypotheses. A structured survey which was required to be completed by dyads (i.e. children and parents) was mailed to Australian families in the state of Victoria. Data obtained from 180 usable responses from the dyads were analysed to test the hypotheses. Children are seen to possess expert power over their parents with regards to computer related and small high-tech products; which make them an important agent of secondary socialisation for their parents. Men are perceived as being more knowledgeable than women, a phenomenon which leads mothers to be more inclined to seek their children's (son's in particular) advice. This study implies that when children are seen as experts by their parents, they become important agents of secondary socialisation. However, this only relates to the consumption of the product categories studied here. Future research needs to include other product categories in order to assess the validity of the measures. Marketers of computer related and small high-tech products can benefit from the findings when promoting these products to children and parents. This research study is unique in Australia and possibly globally.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology

Source

Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers, Vol. 12, no. 4 (2011), pp. 285-294

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

150501 Consumer-Oriented Product or Service Development

Keyword(s)

Australia;  Children;  Computer related products;  Consumer behaviour;  Consumer socialisation;  Family;  High-tech products;  Influence;  Parents

Publisher

Emerald

ISSN

1747-3616

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17473611111185841

Copyright

Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited (2011). The accepted manuscript is reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Full text

Peer reviewed