Influence of Family Communication Structure and Vanity Trait on Consumption Behavior: A Case Study of Adolescent Students in Taiwan

• Published in: Adolescence Vol. 43; no. 170; pp. 417 - 435
• Main Authors: Chang, Wei-Lung, Liu, Hsiang-Te, Lin, Tai-An, Wen, Yung-Sung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Roslyn Heights, NY Libra Publishers Inc 22.06.2008; Libra Publishers; Libra Publishers, Inc; Libra Publishers Incorporated
• Subjects: Achievement; Adolescent; Adolescents; Advertising. Marketing. Consume behavior; Applied psychology; Behavior; Behavioral Science Research; Behavioral Sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Case Studies; Character; Communication; Communication (Thought Transfer); Consumer behavior; Consumer behaviour; Consumer Economics; Cosmetics; Cosmetology; Cultural values; Developmental psychology; Economic Factors; Families & family life; Family - psychology; Family Income; Family Influence; Family Relationship; Female; Foreign Countries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hierarchy, Social; Humans; Hypothesis Testing; Income; Influence; Interpersonal Attraction; Latchkey Children; Literature Reviews; Male; Marketing; Mass media; Materialism; Parents; Personality Traits; Psychology, Adolescent; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reputation; Resistance (Psychology); Self Concept; Social aspects; Social Behavior; Social Influences; Social Marketing; Social Status; Socialization; Socioeconomic Factors; Statistical Analysis; Student consumers; Students - psychology; Students as consumers; Studies; Taiwan; Teenagers; Television; Theory; Taiwan; Asia; Social environment; Human; Social influence; Consumer behavior; Social interaction; Physical appearance; Cultural environment; Adolescent; Family environment; Familial relation; Communication
• ISSN: 0001-8449

The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between family communication structure, vanity trait, and related consumption behavior. The study used an empirical method with adolescent students from the northern part of Taiwan as the subjects. Multiple statistical methods and the SEM model were used for testing the hypotheses. The major findings were: (1) Socio-orientation has a significant effect on how physical appearance is viewed, and concept-orientation has a significant positive effect on achievement vanity. (2) how physical appearance is viewed has a significant positive effect on all dimensions of materialism, concerns about clothing, and use of cosmetics. (3) Achievement vanity has a significant positive relationship with price-based prestige sensitivity and concerns regarding clothing. The findings have implications for marketing theory as well as for practical applications in marketing. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)