Direct and Indirect Influence of Interpersonal and Environmental Agents on Materialism in Children

Abstract

Present study investigates the direct and indirect effect of socialization agents such as family, peer group, television advertisements, and retail stores on pester power and materialism in children. A sample of 319 children in the age group of 7–12 years and 319 parents participated in the study. Children have responded to questions on parenting style, mother’s involvement, television advertisements, retail stores, peer group, and parental guidance. Whereas, parents have responded to questions on family communication pattern, birth order of child, in-school commercialism, pester power, and materialism. The results showed a positive influence of family, peer group, television advertisements, and retail stores on pester power and materialism in children. In the present study, interpersonal agents such as family and peer group have been found to be more influential than environmental agents such as television advertisements and retail stores, because Indian children are risk averse and seek opinion of their parents and peers. They consider informational cues obtained from these socialization agents to be more reliable and authentic to make buying decisions. Therefore, the interpersonal agents have been more influential in shaping the attitude and behaviour of the children. © 2015, National Academy of Psychology (NAOP) India.