Adolescence is a developmental period when abilities in self-decision and self-control through self-selection develop. It is also a critical time for the process of consumer socialization, and consumption life habits acquired during adolescence affect...
Adolescence is a developmental period when abilities in self-decision and self-control through self-selection develop. It is also a critical time for the process of consumer socialization, and consumption life habits acquired during adolescence affects consumption life in adulthood.
Thus, the present study was carried out with the object of more comprehensive and systematic analysis of the increasingly important characteristics of adolescent consumers’ consumption behavior and consumption life. We made several approaches to the characteristics of consumption patterns exhibited by adolescents and examined the correlations among variables affecting the patterns (socio-demographical variables, socioenvironmental variables, materialistic tendency, self-esteem variables, home consumer education, and school consumer education). This study ultimately aimed to provide basic materials for school consumer education, to renew our understanding of adolescent consumers, to establish sound consumption values in adolescents and to promote healthy consumption culture.
In order to survey factors affecting high school students’ consumption patterns, we divided high school students’ consumption patterns into functional consumption pattern and non-functional consumption pattern based on Harvey Leibenstein's classification of consumer behavior theories. In addition, the subtypes of the patterns were defined, which were rational consumption for functional consumption pattern, and conforming consumption, individuality-pursuing consumption and showing consumption for non-functional consumption pattern.
The variables affecting adolescents’ consumption patterns were grouped into external factors (socio-demographical variables and socio-environmental variables), internal factors (materialistic tendency, self-esteem variables) and experiential factors (home consumer education, school consumer education), and their relative influence was analyzed.
Based on the research frame presented above, the present study formulated hypotheses as follows.
<Hypothesis 1> Adolescents’ consumption pattern will be significantly different according to socio-demographical variables.
<Hypothesis 2> Adolescents’ consumption pattern will be significantly different according to socio-environmental variables.
<Hypothesis 3> Functional consumption will be more frequent when selfesteem is high.
<Hypothesis 4> Non-functional consumption will be more frequent when materialistic tendency is high.
<Hypothesis 5> Functional consumption will be more frequent in students who receive consumer education at home.
<Hypothesis 6> Functional consumption will be more frequent in students who receive consumer education in school.
A questionnaire survey was conducted with 610 male and female high school students at 4 districts of Ulsan City, and 602 questionnaires were included in the final analysis of this study. Collected data were analyzed through frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, t-test and oneway ANOVA using SPSS for Windows 12.0.
The results of this study are summarized as follows.
First, among socio-demographical variables, school year and school record were statistically significant. That is, functional consumption was more frequent in upper-class students and in students showing high academic performance.
Second, consumption pattern was significantly different according to socioenvironmental variables. That is, functional consumption was more frequent in students who were strongly affected by family and school, and nonfunctional consumption was more frequent in students who were strongly affected by the peer group and mass media. This suggests the importance of home and school, the traditional grounds of education, for consumptionrelated education.
Third, no significant difference was observed according to self-esteem. This means that high school students’ self-concept is still imperfect or inconsistent and therefore their perceived self-concept does not induce the change of their consumption pattern yet.
Fourth, consumption pattern was significantly different according to materialistic tendency. Those of high materialistic tendency showed a nonfunctional consumption pattern more frequently, and those of low materialistic tendency showed a non-functional consumption pattern relatively less frequently. It is believed that because those of high materialistic tendency feel happiness through showing off their social standing or wealth they are more inclined to non-functional consumption.
Fifth, with regard to difference in consumption pattern according to experience in consumer education at home, no significant difference was observed in functional consumption pattern, but contrary to our assumption, students who received consumer education at home tended to show a nonfunctional consumption pattern.
Sixth, statistically significant difference was observed in consumption pattern according to experience in consumer education in school. Those who received consumer education in school showed functional consumption more frequently. This suggests the importance of consumer-related education in school.
However, the present has limitations as follows.
First, the subjects of this study were limited to male and female high school students living in Ulsan, and thus the results of this study have a limitation in being generalized for the consumer behavior of all adolescents in Korea.
Second, as this study was focused on high school students, the results of this study may not be applicable to adolescents of other age groups. Thus, further research is required for adolescents of each age group.