Consumer socialization

Consumer socialization is the process by which young people acquire skills, knowledge and attitudes relevant to their functioning as consumers in the marketplace. It has been argued, however, that consumer socialization occurs in the adult years as well. This field of study is a subdivision of consumer behaviour as its main focus is on how childhood and adolescent experiences affect future consumer behavior. It attempts to understand how factors such as peers, mass media, family, gender, race, and culture plays an influence in developing customer behavior.

This field of study has increasingly interested policy makers, marketers, consumer educator and students of socialization.

George Moschis and Gilbert A. Churchill Jr posit that mass media, parents, school and peers are all agents of consumer socialization. According to this theory children and young adults learn the rational aspects of consumption from their parents while the mass media teaches them to give social meaning to products; schools teach the importance of economic wisdom and finally peers exercise varying social pressures.

Research in this field is primarily based on two models of human learning: the cognitive development model, which stem primarily from the works of Jean Piaget, and the social learning model, which is based primarily on neo-Hullian, neo-Skinnerian and social learning theory.

This aspect of child socialization started receiving academic attention in early 1970s. Systematic academic research in this area was triggered by charges of various consumer advocacy groups which were concerned with the effects of marketing, especially TV advertising on children.

Adolescents tend to rely more on peers, such as friends and classmates, to develop their consumer behavior compared to television and family.

Mass media has been shown to be as important of a socialization agent as family and peers. Children learn from observation so by viewing advertisements and lifestyles from a television show they will develop their consumer behavior as well as leaning consumer role perceptions.

Family is a major influence in consumer socialization. Parent-child socialization is an adult initiated process by which developing children, through insight, training, and imitation acquire the habits and values congruent with adaptation to their culture. Mothers tend to have the most influence in consumer development and can teach consumer behavior through observation, direct discussions, and parent supervision.

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