UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDREN ON THEIR PARENTS TOTAL PURCHASES Children play a crucial role

of influence in the purchase decisions of their parents,especially in decisions regarding less expensive products such as food and playthings.Marketing researches in the past couple of decades have focused on the how the children are involved in the household decision making, in which stages and in which product categories. This study aimed to identify if and how particular demographic characteristics play a role in the influence that children have on their parents weekly purchases. The demographic characteristics tested for this study included (a) socioeconomic status of the parents, (b) parental education level, (c) religion, (d) gender of the child, and (e) age of the child. For this purpose, a quantitative, non-experimental study was designed using hierarchical multiple linear regression and analysis of variance to test hypotheses and answer the research question. A stratified random sample of 343 participants was surveyed and hypotheses were tested. The results showed a relationship between total weekly influenced parental purchases and the demographic characteristics; furthermore, socioeconomic status, parental educational levels, gender and age of child all affected the extent of influence that the children had on their parents purchases. The findings of this research reveal important insights about children as influencers and active developing decision makers. The results provide direction for further research and analysis in the field that can contribute much to the understanding of buying behaviors and targeted market planning to marketers. Introduction to the Problem Marketing researchers in the United States have shown that children have a critical influence in their parents purchases in various product types such as apparels, food and beverages, and playthings (Lieback,1994). Researchers during the early 90s have already focused on marketing on children, and in particular their influence on the total purchases of the family (Caruana & Vassallo, 2003). This prompted marketers to recommend retail strategies designed to target children. Such child-focused strategies included providing colorful child-friendly amenities, playful displays, and toy credit cards (Beatty & Talpade, 1994). The importance of children in purchase decision making has grown over the years, mainly because children not only make purchasing decisions for their own personal consumption but also because they influence family purchase decisions (Kaur & Singh, 2006). According to Kaur and Singh (2006), demographic variables such as ages and genders of children were shown as influential in parents purchasing decisions. The monetary amount of childrens contributions to spending in family purchase decisions has risen since 1965 (Shoham & Dalakas, 2005). In one study commissioned by a group of cable television network executives in the United States, the findings showed that 43% of total purchases in the family were influenced by children in the families (Caruana & Vassallo, 2003); thus, childrens roles in the decision making of their parents and of their families had become a focus for research on total family purchase decisions. Early research on these interactions included Berey and Pollays (1968) study on childrens roles in marketing based on the researchers claim that children constituted an important and separate segment for marketers. Children not only have influenced family purchase decisions for the entire familys consumption products, but children also have insisted that their parents purchase the products they want as individuals (Kaur & Singh, 2006). Similar to the seminal research of Kaur and Singh (2006), predominant parental communication styles were likely to affect the perceived influence that children believed they had on their parents (Levy & Lee, 2004). In another similar study, Atkin (1978) found that children played dominant roles in food selection (e.g., in cereals, milk) in the supermarket, either by asking for a brand or choosing one upon parental invitation. Researchers (Anglin, 1997; Caruana & Vassallo, 2003; Kaur & Singh, 2004a) focused on parents perceptions of their children's influence found that influence to be a result of the communication patterns between the parents and the children. These findings came from multiple samples consisting of parents and their children. Unlike Berey and Pollays

(1968) study of subjects in their natural setting, Kaur and Singhs study (2004a) was administered privately with an on-site questionnaire so that younger children could participate and ensure that responses were spontaneous and without parental intervention. The main purpose of studies from Kaur and Singh (2004a) and Hughner and Maher (2006) was to investigate whether parental communication style had an effect on childrens perceived influence on purchases. In earlier literature, results indicated that children of concept-oriented parents had an influence on purchase decisions, but children with socio-oriented parents did not have an influence on purchase decisions (Hall, Shaw, Johnson, & Oppenheim, 1995).Various manipulating factors can be used to influence the purchasing decisions of children. Dotson and Hyatt (2005) identified five major consumer socialization influence factors of (a) irrational social influence, (b) importance of television, (c) familial influence, (d) shopping importance, and (e) brand importance that could vary the childrens influence on parents total purchases. A childs gender, age, amount of spending money available, amount of television viewing, and preferred way to spend time after school could be used to manipulate their social influences (Moore & Stephens, 1975). Family type, parental style, and patterns of communication were important in the decisions and influences of children (Foxman, Tansuhaj, & Ekstrom, 1989a). Childrens influences on purchase decisions differed depending on the product category (e.g., food and beverages, playthings) and decision making stage (Kaur & Singh, 2006). Television advertisements for certain food products had been shown to have a direct effect on childrens eating habits and food consumption (Arna, 2006). Children with varying cognitive abilities have shown differences in their interpretation of advertisements from television and web sites (Myers, Royne, & Deitz, 2011). Background of the Study Concern about whether parents have the capability to give in to their childrens influences on purchases has been attributed to the motivation of consumers to buy products in terms of the order of importance of different product categories (Chikweche & Fletcher, 2010). Marketers must determine the important criteria and processes for decisions that parents and children as consumers use in choosing which products to buy in the consumer market. Children are becoming consumers at younger ages; a variety of influences and experiences have been used to shape their consumer habits (Kraak, 1998). According to various marketing literature (Kaur & Singh, 2006; McNeal, 1990; Shoham & Dalakas, 2005; Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard, & Hogg, 2006), parents total purchases were affected by (a) the purchasing power of parents, (b) habits of parents and children, and (c) the influence of their children. Marketing research on childrens influence on their parents weekly purchases showed socializing agents such as demographics, parents, peers, media, and communication within the family all played a part (Hughner & Maher, 2006; Kaur & Medury, 2011). Kaur and Singh (2006) explored what motivated parents to make purchases of various types of goods. Previous research (Miller & Washington, 2012; Thomson, Laing, & McKee, 2007; Tinson & Nancarrow, 2005) yielded various findings based on the effect of demographic factors (e.g., age, gender, social class, and race of the children) on childrens influences on the total weekly purchases in a family. McNeal and Yeh (2003) indentified a positive relationship between age and childrens influence on parents total purchases, but Moschis and Moore (1979a) suggested that childrens influence had no relationship to demographic variables such as age, sex, and social class. The purpose of the study was to confirm the relationship between childrens influence on total weekly purchases and demographic variables and to clarify thedifferences in existing research through a quantitative approach. The study was also used to help researchers better understand childrens influence on their parents total weekly purchases according to the childrens generation cohorts. Youth who were more receptive to new products participated or influenced their parents purchase decisions in different ways (Gronbach, 2000) because buying power and childrens knowledge varied according to the childs generation (Chen, 2008).

Statement of the Problem Caruana and Vassallo (2003) reported that, mothers who shop with their kids wind up spending 30% more then they originally intended and fathers spend 70% more (p. 55). Parents have developed a consumer behavior learning wherein they allow their children to influence their purchases (Chaplin & John, 2010); thus, an examination of contributing factors to childrens influence on parents purchase behavior will be conducted in the research. Some researchers (Anglin, 1997; Moschis & Mitchell, 1986) have examined intrafamily and mass media communication for effects on consumer-learning processes, and have described demographic predictors of consumer learning. Although the subject of childrens consumer learning has received little attention in published research, consumer learning is an important area for research because young people comprise a large, specialized market segment for many products and services (Moschis & Mitchel, 1986). Purpose of the Study The purpose of this correlational study was to ascertain the extent to which children influence their parents spending, and if the childrens influence is based on certain contributing demographic characteristics. Parents of children from various public, private, and home schoolsall of whom were part of Zoomerang.comwere surveyed. Although previous research has shown that children had a great influence on the purchases made by their parents (Chaplin & John, 2010; Chikweche & Fletcher, 2010; Spiro, 1983), a critical examination of which factors contribute to this influence was necessary to better understand consumer behavior. The study was used to examine the demographic characteristics of the parents to determine whether these characteristics were related significantly to childrens influence on their parents purchases. The demographic characteristics that were investigated included (a) socioeconomic status, (b) parental education level, (c) religion, (d) gender of the child, and (e) the age of the child. Marketing leaders may use the results of this study to develop advertising campaigns to target specific audiences. Organizational leaders may understand the impact of children on various groups of parents and may develop products towards these markets. Parents could use the results of the current study for insights on parents capability to submit to childrens influences on their purchases. Nature of the Study A quantitative, correlational design with non-experimental methods was used to measure and analyze the factors affecting childrens influence on their parents total weekly purchases. The variables under study were the demographic characteristics of the parents and their children in (a) socioeconomic status, (b) parental education level, (c) religion, (d) gender of the child, (e) age of the child. This quantitative design is appropriate for the purpose of the research problem, which was to determine the correlations between variables. A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to measure the demographic characteristics of parents and children, as well as the parents total weekly purchases in each main purchase category considered in this study. The main purchase categories were (a) food and beverages, (b) playthings, and (c) apparel. Participants were asked a series of Likert-type questions. A stratified random sampling (SRS) technique was used for data collection through the electronic survey tool at Zoomerang.com. Paper-and-pen surveys were not conducted, in which case the data collection was faster and more convenient. Participants responses for questions under each measure were compiled and statistically tested using hierarchical multiple linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine whether a significant relationship existed between variables. Significance of the Study The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which children influence their parents spending, and if the childrens influence is based on certain contributing demographic characteristics. The study was used to explore the effects of demographic

characteristics on childrens influence on the purchases of their parents, such as whether younger parents more often than older parents give in to their childrens influence. The study is a contribution to available literature in the marketing field on childrens influence on their parents total purchases. Marketing experts could focus their programs on factors that significantly have impact on the parents total purchases based on the findings and results of the study. Assumptions and Limitations With a quantitative approach and responses collected from a survey instrument, the findings from the study were limited to the perspectives and experiences of the population sample from Zoomerang.com and the size of the population sampled. The research cannot be generalized to cover the whole spectrum of factors with effects on childrens influence on their parents total purchases. A large enough sample fit for an appropriate power was selected so that the findings are conclusive. It is assumed that using quantitative methodologies resulted in conclusive evidence to answer the research question of the study. The data was collected at a particular moment in time and cannot be generalized or transferred to all populations and settings. The assumptions for the study are related to three primary areas: (a) incompleteness of the survey responses, (b) potential response biases, and (c) instrument limitations. Assumptions about the surveyed participants include that they (a) understood the questions as asked, (b) responded truthfully, and (c) completed the survey questionnaires. Participants misunderstandings of the research topic could have influenced their responses, the research questions developed, and the analysis for the study. It was assumed that all research participants responded honestly to the survey questions, which were the basis for the analysis. Participant responses may be biased due to their feelings that they must respond in a socially acceptable manner. To minimize response biases and inaccuracy of findings because a researcher-developed instrument was used in collecting and quantifying data, the survey instrument was tested for reliability and validity and then approved to ensure that it could be used to measure the constructs for the study. After the instrument field tests, the assumption was that the survey questions were adequate to measure the constructs for this study. Unit of Analysis The unit of analysis for the study was the parents perceptions of the purchase influence their children have on total weekly purchases. The parents perceptions were measured through the researcher-developed survey instrument. To ensure that the questionnaire was a measure of the constructs for the study, a pilot test was conducted with target samples. As the key objective for this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the parents total purchases influenced by children and the demographic characteristics of the parents, the parents perceptions were compared according to the demographic groups of parents. Organization of the Remainder of the Study In this first chapter, the introduction, background, and structure of the study were discussed. The relationship between the total purchases influenced by children and demographic characteristics were studied quantitatively. The problem and background regarding factors by which children influence their parents total purchases was described in this chapter to show a need for the study. This chapter includes the purpose of the study and the significance of the study to the field of leadership. Additional features of the study are discussed in the chapter, such as the (a) research questions, (b) hypotheses, (c) definitions, (d) limitations, (e) delimitations, (f) overview of design, and (g) summary. CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction Family patterns have been differentiated around the world under the influence of local cultures and ethics, which means family decision processes could be difficult to identify. In this context, husbands and wives tended to show different responses to products and services available in their markets. Children often were involved in family decisions. With various factors intervening in family decisions for the consumption of products and services, marketers have to constantly update their strategies to respond to the different market trends. The current study was focused on the role of husbands and wives and the degree to which they are influenced by their children when having to buy food, playthings, or entertainment products. The literature published in the particular field was reviewed. Emphasis was given to the criteria on which family consumption patterns are based, that is, which factors are likely to influence families regarding the consumption of products and services. The main question for exploration was how were children likely to influence their parents in consuming products and services and how was childrens influence reflected in the decision of parents to buy food, playthings, or entertainment? Finally, reference was made to the fact that marketers tend to align their strategies with the consumption trends of families within either the local or international markets. The review of the theoretical and the empirical studies developed in this subject showed that parents were likely to be influenced by their children when having to buy food, playthings, or entertainment. This influence is similar for all types of family decisions. In this way, the interaction between parents and their children regarding the consumption of products and services cannot be characterized as partial, that is, not related to a specific industry. In developing product marketing, marketers should consider addressing products or services not only for the adults, but also for the children. Family Dynamics in Purchase Decisions Literature was reviewed to examine the extent of influence that children have on the buying decisions of their parents. From the literature available on this topic, researchers have shown that children have exercised a good deal of influence on the parents decisions for buying products, especially among consumables such as breakfast cereal, aerated drinks, fruit juices, and popular electronic goods such as mobile phones. Children have emerged as major players in the decision making processes of a family. McNeal (2003, as cited in Lackman & Lanasa, 1993) suggested that on average in the United States, children between the ages of four and 12 had an influence on their parents buying that was worth 130 billion dollars. Childrens influence on their parents buying patterns was varied with each subdecision stage (Commuri & Gentry, 2000). Children who were initiators exerted greater influence on their parents in decisions on buying household products than their non-initiator counterparts (Commuri & Gentry, 2000). Older children exerted greater influence on their parents; a childs gender was not a significant factor in influencing their parents buying decisions (Commuri & Gentry,2000). Researchers have suggested that the family as a consuming and decision making unit is a central phenomenon in marketing and consumer behavior (Commuri & Gentry, 2000, p. 1). Since the late 1960s, marketing managers have identified the central role of the family in decision making and consumption of products (Assael, 1998); family units have been at the center of interest of marketers and academics in the line of marketing (Moore, Wilkie, & Lutz, 2002; Shoham & Dalakas, 2005). Joint decisions by the consumer and family members could be used to influence or modify the desire and disposition of the other family member toward a certain consumer product (Foxall, 1997).

A family unit had an intermediating function, and also was the point of integration of an individual within the precincts of a larger society (Foxall, 1997). As the primary consumption unit, the family was also the primary target for all the available products and their categories (Schiffman & Kanuk, 1983). The family unit could be defined as a group of people residing together who might be related by marriage, blood, or adoption (Loudon & Della Bitta, 1993). A nuclear type of family would consist of a husband, a wife, and their children. An extended family included the nuclear family members and other relatives. During the course of a single day there will be multiple decisions made by family members (nuclear or extended), and in a majority of the cases the wife or the husband will be the prevailing decision maker within the family (Commuri & Gentry, 2000). Many researchers had focused their studies on family consumer behavior and a majority of the literature has been on decision rolewho makes what decisions (Commuri & Gentry, 2000, p. 8). Other research had shown that the influence of the wife and the husband would most likely change according to (a) the product types being considered for consumption, (b) the step reached in the process of decision making, (c) the purchase influence type, and (d) the basic characteristics of the particular family that was making the decision (Assael, 1998). According to the literature, the type of product under consideration was divided into four main categories (see Figure 1). These were Product types for which the husband had the major influence (Mowen, 1995). Product types for which the wife had the dominant influencing factor (Mowen, 1995). Product types for which the decisions can be taken by either the wife or the husband and for which either spouse can be the dominant factor, called the automatic decision type (Assael, 1998). Product types where the husband and wife go in for a joint decision, called the syncratic decision type (Assael, 1998). Figure 1 shows items within the joint, syncratic and automatic decisions in family consumer behavior (Commuri & Gentry, 2000, p. 8). Automatic purchases were decisions undertaken by only one family member; a joint decision was undertaken by two consenting individuals and was known as syncratic. Syncratic decisions commonly had been observed in cases of purchasing houses, cars, furniture, and so on (Commuri & Gentry, 2000). Belch, Belch, and Ceresino (1985) stated that while husbands make most purchase decisions for automobiles and television, wives dominated decisions about the purchases of appliances, furniture and cereal (as cited in Commuri & Gentry, 2000, p. 11). Figure 1. Family Decision-Making Process. Adapted from Consumer behavior and marketing action. (Assael, 1998, p. 462) During a decision process for purchasing a product, the relative influences of the spouses might have been changed based on the stage reached in the decision process. In a Belgian market survey, three major stages in the process of family decision making were identified: (a) recognizing the problem, (b) seeking relevant information, and (c) final decision making (Mowen, 1995). The key questions that within the decision making stages were (a) the allocation budget for a certain desired product, (b) the date product was purchased, (c) the style chosen, (d) the color, (e) the number of items purchased, and (f) the retailer (Mowen, 1995, p. 224). Many factors affected the decision making processes in which the husband and wife were the dominant decision makers (Assael, 1998).

The various roles are determined by the perceived purchase decision (Assal, 1998). The family purchase decision could be varied according to the specific roles of instrumental or expressive-involved activities (Assael, 1998). Instrumental roles involved activities that were primarily economic in nature; the spouse that went to the office, cooked, cared for the children, and repaired the home each performed instrumental activities (Walters & Bergiel, 1989). In instrumental role decisions, issues such as timing of the purchase, budget allocation, and product specifications were likely task or activity oriented. Expressive roles were described as actions that connoted the group rules within actions of emotional and social support (Assael, 1998). In final purchase decisions on the type of design, color, or style, the decision maker would have an expressive role and would tend to reflect on specific group norms (Assael, 1998). The purchase decisions of a family would be influenced by that familys culture (Loudon & Della Bitta, 1993). Social class, social interaction and reference groups, culture, age, demographics, geographic locations, mobility, and children were typical characteristics that had been shown to affect the family decision making processes. Specific conditions or characteristics that had been known to have a strong influence on a familys purchasing decision included (a) finances of a family member, (b) gender role orientations within a family, (c) the importance of the decision of the family member, and (d) the importance of an individual within a family (Mowen, 1995). Different researchers have noted that strong financial resources or a strong position of an individual within the family unit could have elevated that particular persons influence on the purchasing decision. An involved family member who strongly desired a product also would have more influence on the final buying decision than another family member who was not involved or not interested in that specific product (Mowen, 1995). Gender role orientation within a family was a description for how a group followed traditional norms on specific gender behavior patterns. Researchers have observed that as gender role orientation within a family became less traditional, the female members started showing increased influences in the decision making processes. Further research on this subject had shown that families who were less conservative or traditional in their outlooks also tended to be more modern as regards to their gender role orientation. Such families showed a greater tendency toward joint decisions in purchasing consumer products (Mowen, 1995). Besides the husband and wife, other players both internal and external to the family might have effects on the process of purchase decision making. Kotler (1972) identified six varying roles that may be achieved by the different members of the family. An initiator might be first to comprehend the need or desire for a certain product; an influencer might persuade the other family members to buy within the product category, or a product of his or her choice. Another family member might assume the role of the information collector (the gatekeeper), the person who searched for all information related to the product and the possible purchase. Another member might have become a decision maker, a family member with (Kotler, 1972; Mowen, 1995) Family decision making was different and more complicated than the process of individual decision making, primarily due to two aspects: (a) the factor of making decisions jointly, and (b) the varying specifications of the family members role in the decision making process (Assael, 1998). Research had shown that family decisions were likely to occur (a) if the perceived risk in buying a product was high; (b) if a decision to buy a certain product elevated the familys social status; (c) if the factor of time seemed less pressing; and (d) in cases of specific demographic social groups such as the upper and lower socioeconomic sections, families with relatively young members, families

without any children, and families with only one working parent (Assael, 1998). Within joint decisions or final purchase decisions made within the family, some conflict might arise in relation to the purchasing goals or feelings towards an alternative brand, while selecting the option that was most desirable to the family (Davis, 1976). The three main areas of conflict were identified as (a) who should be the decision maker, (b) how the family should arrive at a final decision, and (c) which member should implement the final decision (Davis, 1976). Strategies could be used to resolve conflicts and reach a consensus regarding an agreement on the objectives for buying the products. Conflicts about purchases could be resolved by accommodation, in which case the members disagree about the purchase objective, but one member decides to end the conflict by obliging (Davis, 1976). To arrive at a consensus, the family members might adopt various methods that have been used in budgetary allocations, role delegation, or problem solving processes (Davis, 1976). Members generally used bargaining or persuasion to solve a conflict in which one person must accommodate (Davis, 1976). Marketers should explore the roles of all family members, while also distinguishing each members separate role to ascertain which members must be targeted for specific product categories (Kotler, 1972). Earlier market research was focused on the husbands and wifes roles in purchase decisions and families consumption behaviors, but the childrens role was completely ignored (Cox, 1975; Cunningham & Green, 1974; Lackman & Lanasa, 1993; Safilios-Rothschild, 1970). In the last decade experts have observed significant changes in the family roles and the family decision making processes. With changing trends in family purchase decisions, childrens roles in purchase decisions have needed closer examination. Organization of the Literature Review The study questions were explored using a qualitative research method. Literature focusing on the subject under examination was reviewed and critically evaluated. The discussion of the existing literature will be presented in the following ways. First, the theoretical framework is discussed through the identification and interpretation of foundational theories on which the critical issues of the paper were based. Next, empirical studies are presented in relation to the practical implications for the problem under examination. Results of the empirical studies are critically discussed in comparison with the existing theoretical literature, but were not evaluated or compared using regression methods or other similar tools of statistical analysis. This comparison was considered the most effective way to relate directly the theoretical literature with the empirical results and highlight the gaps regarding the issues for the study. Gaps in the literature were identified based on the empirical studies, which were used to establish the need for the study. Theoretical Framework A common theoretical perception regarding family purchase decisions is that a family, in all its activities, should be considered a singular unit. Cox (1975) noted that the evaluation of the family decision process was based on the perception that family is a small group because a family met all requirements of such groups, including permanence and the existence of relationships between its members (p. 189). Even if regarded as a group, family members might have conflicts with each other, certain of which might be quite strong, and which could influence the family decision process. One structure of the family decision process is shown in Figure 2. Each part of the process could be alternated if necessary, depending on family members involvement. Even if family is considered as a unit, the decisions of its members cannot be

considered always as standardized, meaning that the members of a family might develop different consumer preferences. Burns and Granbois (1977) noted that the consumer behavior of members of a family likely would be influenced by a series of external factors, including mass media and the social environment. At the same time, family members personal perceptions could affect their views about specific products; critical family decisions, including the decisions for buying expensive products, might be postponed because of family conflicts or differences in perceptions (Burns & Granbois, 1977, p. 77). Family conflicts have to be considered in developing marketing plans targeting individuals who make purchase decisions as members of families. Figure 2. Family Decision-Making Process. (Source: Ekasasi, 2005, p. 29) Childrens Influence in Family Decisions On the other hand, Mangleburg (1990) noted that children could influence the family decisions but the childrens power to have a role in the development of these decisions was dependent on certain factors. Mangleburg differentiated childrens intervention in family decisions according to the following factors: (a) childrens influence was higher regarding products that were directed towards them, or in other words the products children would use or consume; (b) childrens influence was higher at the problem recognition phase (p. 814), which was the phase during which the family needs were identified as related to specific products; and (c) childrens influence was lower at the choice phase (p. 814), which was the time a product was purchased. The different structure of modern families as compared to families of the past has not resulted in the reduction of childrens power to influence their parents purchase decisions. Tinson, Nancarrow, and Brace (2008) noted that, even if the family structure had become simpler, the role of child in influencing the family decisions has remained complex (p. 45). Consumer Socialization of Children The behavior of the child as a consumer has been difficult to identify. Moschis and Moore (1979) noted that examination of the childs level of socialization would be necessary to understand the potential actions of the child as a consumer. Geuens, Pelsmacker, and Mast (2003) had focused on the power of consumer socialization to affect the consumer behavior of children. More specifically, Geuens et al. (2003) emphasized consumer socialization as the process by which young people learn to function in the marketplace (p. 57). Moschis and Churchill (1978) described consumer socialization as the process by which young people develop consumer related skills (p. 599). North and Kotze (2001) supported the idea that when children start walking they experience their first physical contact as consumers by choosing an article and taking it from the self (p. 92), which means that the socialization of children could begin quite early in childhood. Parents roles could be critical in offering to their children the necessary support so that the children could develop healthy self-esteem (Nguyen, Chaplin, & Roedder, 2010, p. 177) in the face of consumer socialization, such as strong pressure from the media. Calvert (2008) noted that each child is likely to watch about 40,000 advertisements annually (p. 206). The terms of the childrens socialization were not standardized; for example, McNeal (1987) stated that socialization does not necessarily begin in childhood (p. 13). From a similar point of view, McDonald (1982) noted that adolescents could intervene in family decisions only if their parents would accept such initiatives; the economic status of the family could also affect the power of adolescents to intervene in critical family decisions. Spiro (1983) also suggested that the development of family decisions could be difficult because of the lack of effective communication between spouses; under these

cases of spousal conflict, the childrens socialization could be alternated or delayed. Literature has shown that the consumption trends of children seemed to be influenced by their parents views. In a survey conducted among 155 participating children from ages 10 to 13, the children were likely to consider seriously their parents points of view in buying a product (Fan & Li, 2009, p. 1). Dikeius and Medeksiene (2008) came to similar conclusions that children were likely to be influenced by their parents about buying decisions under certain terms, such as the childrens ages and their communication with the parents, especially their mothers (p. 106). Although complex, the potential role of children as consumers is shown in Figure 3. According to Figure 3, the consumer behavior of children could have three different aspects: (a) children could influence the primary market as direct buyers of specific products, (b) children could influence their familys decision on a particular product (influencer market), and (c) children could influence their familys future buying decisions (Mahima & Puja, 2008, p. 33). Figure 3. Children as Consumers. (Source: Mahima and Puja, 2008, p. 33) Kaur and Singh (2006) discussed the different role of the children in the international market and emphasized childrens potentials to influence their parents buying choices even indirectly if parents knew their childs preferred product (p. 1). Children have been characterized as a potential market (Bambang & Dan Jony, 2009, p. 29). Childrens power to act as consumers was derived from the idea that children were expected to buy certain products, even if the relevant cost will not be covered by their own money (Bambang & Dan Jony, 2009, p. 29). To evaluate the consumption trends of children in the international market, the culture and the ethics of each region would be considered as factors influencing the buying decisions of the local population, including families (Brown 1979, p. 335). Additional research would be necessary to understand the practical role of socialization in influencing childrens consumer behavior because of childrens power to act as consumers and to intervene in family decisions. The empirical evidence of the literature about childrens consumer processes is presented in the next section. Presentation of Empirical Evidence The role of children in the development of critical market decisions has been developing continuously. According to Berey and Pollay (1968), the reasons for the developments included that (a) the child market had expanded rapidly, (b) the power of children to influence the decisions of family could not be doubted or ignored, and (c) the consumer decisions of adults likely would follow the same patterns established in their consumer decisions during childhood (p. 70). Berey and Pollay did not clarify which criteria were the foundation for childrens consumer decisions, but emphasized that children could affect significantly the consumer behavior of their parents, and consequently, the marketing trends in the child market. The conclusions from Berey and Pollay (1968) were based on findings from a questionnaire distributed among the students of a private school. The student respondents were between eight and 11 years old; their responses to the questionnaire were evaluated in comparison with the responses of their mothers and their teachers (Berey & Pollay, 1968). The empirical study Berey and Pollay conducted was used to highlight the importance of children in the family purchase decisions, but was not an explanation of how childrens influence was developed or expanded. Whether the consumer behavior of children could be influenced by specific market trends was not stated in Berey and Pollays findings, although this issue would be important for marketers in developing specific marketing projects for the child market.

The development of decisions that spouses accepted seemed to be a rare phenomenon in families. In Daviss (1971) study, the lack of effective conversation between spouses was cited and was understood to mean that family decisions occurred in the context of conflicts. Davis emphasized the idea that family decisions with the consent of both spouses were less than 50% of all decisions made within each family (Davis, 1971, p. 305). Wives often avoided reporting to their husbands the exact events occurring within the family, a fact that often resulted in conflicts between spouses even regarding routine family issues (Davis, 1971). Davis did not address the degree to which children influenced their parents for specific product or service purchases; however, in conflict conditions, it might be assumed that childrens influence was limited. Munsinger, Weber, and Hansen (1975) noted that consumer behavior within families was difficult to understand clearly because family consumer behavior was difficult to identify, at least directly, with varied roles of family members in the family purchase decision process. In an earlier study, Davis (1970) had suggested that the role of family members in family decisions could be identified only if the structure of each family was clear, meaning that family members power to intervene in family decisions would differ across families (Davis, 1970). Davis (1976) later stated that the family was an importance decision making and consumption unit (p. 241) and, therefore, that the identification of the role of members in family decisions was important. Even with effective communication between spouses, other factors might have influence on the consumer trends of family members or be the cause of conflicts in relevant family decisions. Of particular importance was the issue of whether children were affected by specific factors in having to state their consumption preferences. Children have been shown to have power to influence their parents decisions in critical buying decisions (e.g., house or car), which were not childrens purchases; however, children have been considered as family members who had the right to intervene, even indirectly, in family decisions. Ward and Wackman (1972) explored the degree to which children had influence on family decisions about the purchase of various products or services. The factors of demographics, parent-child interaction, and mothers mass communication behavior were emphasized (Ward & Wackman, 1972, p. 316). A questionnaire was sent to 132 upper and middle/upper classes mothers of children aged between five and 12 years (Ward & Wackman, 1972, p. 316). Ward and Wackman (1972) showed that media, especially television, was influential in mothers consumer decisions. Children had influence on their mothers purchases of products or services, and the relevant decisions of the children were aligned with the consumption trends promoted through television ads (Ward & Wackman, 1976, p. 317). Ward and Wackman also found that the existence of conflicts within the family, the power of children to influence their parents decisions to buy specific products or services had increased (p. 317). Childrens perceptions of specific products were not dependent always on media (Jam, Akhtar, & Jijazi, 2010). In fact, in shopping with their parents, children were likely to insist on buying certain products not because of advertising but because of personal reasons (Jam et al., 2010, p. 668). Another important concept in the role of children in family decisions was that children had been able to influence their parents in buying certain types of products. The relation between the type of a product and the ability of children to influence the relevant family decision was explored in Mehrotra and Torgess (1997) study. Mehrotra and Torges (1997) found that children would influence their mothers to purchase playthings, which was a confirmation that childrens power in family purchase decision influence was related to the type of the product involved. Lou, Wortzel, and Berkeley (1981) had

similar findings after examining childrens influence in family purchase decisions. Mothers could be influenced to purchase certain products, but the childrens influence on mothers was dependent on the mothers attitudes and willingness to accept such interventions (Lou, Wortzel, & Berkeley, 1981). The idea of perceiving family as a unit in purchase decisions has been supported extensively in the literature, as noted previously through Daviss (1976) work. The specific view of family as a decision unit also had been tested in the empirical research of Verma and Kapoor (2003). Verma and Kapoor suggested that marketers who wanted to attract the interest of specific family members needed to promote marketing plans that address the needs and the interests of all the members of the family, either directly or indirectly. Verma and Kapoor (2003) tried to identify the dynamics of family members who were likely to have a significant effect on family buying decisions. A survey was conducted among 313 families in Delhi India, which showed that (a) well-educated women had increased power in influencing family purchase decisions, (b) children could influence the buying decisions of their parents, but (c) husbands had the key roles in the familys decision making process (Verma & Kapoor, 2003, p. 7). Local culture and ethics also effected the family decision process. Guneri, Yurt, Kaplan, and Delen (2009) tried to identify the level at which children in Turkey had influence in the buying decisions of their families. A survey was conducted in 2006 among 849 families in Turkey. The results showed that Turkish children did not have a significant influence in family decisions (Guneri, Yurt, Kaplan, & Dele, 2009, p. 21). The study findings were consistent with the countrys culture, in which parents have the key role in family decisions while the power of children to intervene in these decisions is limited. In the purchase of expensive products such as cars, Martensen and Gronhold (2008) proved that parents typically decided on their own, without childrens influences. Parents purchases of expensive products were less influenced because of the financial risk involved (Martensen & Gronhold, 2008, p. 15). Wanga, Hsiehb, Yehc and Wen (2004) showed that the members of a family were likely to act jointly when having to recognize a problem or to take a final decision (p. 83). From a different perspective related to culture and family member roles, the potential of family members to intervene in family decisions might be affected by the sex-role orientation of the family and the occupational status of the wife. Beatty and Talpades (1994) observational data showed that wives had stronger influences on family decisions based on their income levels. The sex-role orientation of the family had effects on how much involvement from children was allowed in the family decision process (Beatty & Talpade, 1994). Purchase decisions of family members were dependent on the level of each persons socialization. Parents influenced the level of socialization of their children (Carlson & Grossbart, 1988). A mothers parental style had effects on the communication between the mother and the children, which also had effects on childrens views of consumption (Carlson & Grossbart, 1988). Foxman and Tansuhaj (1988) explored the factors affecting the socialization of young people. Adolescents were found to have influence in family decisions but their power to intervene in such decisions was dependent on the communication environment within the family (Foxman & Tansuhaj, 1988). A survey conducted among 340 families in New York indicated the differentiation of the role of family members under different cultures and family environments (Szybillo & Sosanie, 1977). Szybillo and Sosanie (1977) found that

children had more influence in the family decisions related to food than those related to the purchase of expensive products, such as cars. Foxman, Tanshuhaj and Ekstrom (1989) noted that adolescents had more influence on family buying decisions related to travel and entertainment products. Mikkelsen (2004) surveyed 451 families and showed that the influence of children in family decisions regarding food was significant. Shabbir, Kirmani and Faiz-Ul-Hassan (2008) also attempted to identify childrens power to influence family decisions regarding food; their research showed that children had significant influence in family purchase decisions for chocolates, childrens toys, and similar products (p. 663). Shabbir et al. also found that childrens views on products were affected by the media, which could lead to negative stereotypes (p. 694). The specific phenomenon had been explored earlier in Darley and Lims (1986) research. Darley and Lim (1986) interviewed 106 parents in Washington. Family structure and the childs age were factors in childrens potential to intervene in family decisions. For example, in one-parent families, children were more powerful in influencing family decisions (Darley & Lim, 1986). Recent empirical studies have been used to explore to what degree media was influential on children and adolescents regarding their consumer preferences (De Run, Butt, & Nee 2010). Of course, their parents still had influence regarding adolescents consumer preferences, but the influence of third parties, such as friends or media role models, was strong (De Run et al., 2010). Hamilton (2006) suggested that a negative aspect of consumerism was the strong influence related to luxury products. This aspect of consumerism had negative effects on children and especially adolescents, who were attracted more to products that seemed to be of high quality but were only current market trends (Hamilton 2006). The development of the Internet has caused significant alterations in childrens perceptions of consumerism (Buckleitner, 2008). Analysis of Findings The review of the empirical studies included the findings that the communication between parents regarding critical family decisions might be poor. As a result, the communication between parents and children might be affected negatively. Under certain situations, children were not able to influence the buying preferences of their parents. The contradiction was noted that in certain empirical studies (Guneri et al., 2009; Verma & Kapoor, 2003) family was presented as a unit in which all its members participated in the purchase decision process of the family. In other empirical studies, however, disagreement among spouses in family decisions (Davis, 1971; Spiro, 1983) did not show support for the idea that family decisions were made as a unit. In additional early research, Jenkins (1979) had found that spouses did not consider the role of children as influential in family decisions but that the parents roles were of primary importance for all family decisions. Jenkinss conclusion was based on interviews with 105 couples and showed that childrens power to influence family decisions was reflective of the degree to which childrens influence was allowed in the broader family and the social (cultural) environment. The development of family decisions can be organized differently under specific culture conditions. Verma and Kapoor (2003) highlighted the key role of husbands in the decision process of the family. Guneri et al. (2009) also indicated the relationship between culture and the power of family members to intervene in family decisions. The exact role of family members in the development of family decisions was not standardized but was differentiated under the influence of local culture and social ethics.

Family environment could be a factor in childrens power to intervene in family decisions (Foxman & Tansuhaj, 1988). Children had more influence on their parents regarding the purchase of specific products (Mehrotra & Torges, 1977; Szybillo & Sosanie, 1977). Chavda, Haley, and Dunn (2005) explored the increased influence of children regarding the purchase of food and childrens limited power in influencing the family decisions related to the purchase of expensive products such as automobiles. The following gap was identified in the empirical research: the role of family members, especially of children, in the purchase decision process of the family has not been identified clearly. More specifically, the role of family members in the buying process has not been standardized, meaning that family members seem to use different criteria for each buying decision. Many factors have been shown as influential in the family buying decisions: (a) the family structure, (b) the local culture, (c) the age of the child, and (d) the type of the product (Bergler, 1999). Additional factors might be influential in development of the consumer behavior of children. For example, John (1999) referenced the differences in the development of children and adolescents as consumers under the influence of (a) media or advertising, (b) the social environment, (c) their financial status, and (d) their values. Potential effects of false social patterns on childrens consumption preferences should be examined, meaning the cases in which childrens misbehavior is developed (Bergler, 1999, p. 42), especially at the level that childrens preferences had influence on their parents purchases. The degree to which specific family types are used to promote consumerism in children could be identified further, an issue highlighted in Lundberg, Romich, and Tsang (2007). Existing studies on family structure in consumer behavior and the effects of family structure on childrens behavior as consumers were limited. The potential role of all these factors in the consumer behavior of children could be explored, especially within countries where consumerism is highly developed due to the rapid growth of local economies. The degree to which marketers should be allowed to promote particular products to children could be evaluated. For instance, Downie and Glazebrook (2007) referred to the development of advertisements promoting mobiles phones for children; this practice should be explored for its effects on childrens health among other aspects. Conclusion The dynamics of family decisions have been reviewed in the literature. Researchers have expressed various perspectives on the power of family members to intervene in family decisions. Most studies showed childrens power to influence the buying decisions of their parents; however, the role of family members in purchase decisions was differentiated in countries with diverse social and cultural characteristics. The exact aspects of this differentiation have not been adequately explored, as noted in the chapter. On the other hand, the development of children as consumers would incorporate a series of stages, as cited in the relevant theories. In this context, the power of children to affect the buying decisions of their parents cannot be standardized based on the existing literature. The review of the relevant literature showed that children could influence parents purchase decisions in the ways that children understood the value of a product and stated their preferences as consumers. The degree to which parents might be influenced by their children in purchases of food, playthings, or entertainment might be dependent not only on power of children as consumers, but also on the social ethics that would allow the Implications For marketers, it is very relevant to know who is making the buying decision of

their products and then target that decision making authority accordingly. It is an established fact that children are influencers and play an active role in the purchasing habits of the family, which has been addressed in detail in the literature review section of this study. This study was conducted to see if there are particular demographic contributing factors that play a role in these situations where the parents might be influenced by their childrens choices. Having knowledge of these other factors, if there are any, could help with fine tuning marketing endeavors and making more targeted plans by marketers and managers. This study reveals that there are certain demographic characteristics that play a role in the weekly children-influenced buying behaviors of parents. The characteristics that were tested are: (a) socioeconomic status, (b) parental education level, (c) religion, (d) gender of the child, and (e) the age of the child. A directly proportional relationship was observed between the socioeconomic statuses of parents with weekly influenced spending. There could be any number of reasons and explanations for this finding as it is consistent with the initial supposition of the researcher. The investment theory is a viable explanation for this: parents invest time and money in their children as their actual commitment to their children, specifically the fathers (Fox, 2001), is contingent upon the maximizing of child-focused investments, including the weekly money spent by the family. The implication here is that the higher the socioeconomic status of the family, the more willing the parents would be to spend money on their children based on their choice as that is a display of their commitment to their children. Mayer (1997) says that this investment is later reaped by the parents when the children earn and marry well. Furthermore, as the socioeconomic status of a family increases and they have more disposable income at their hands, their weekly spending has more influence of their children. As income increases, the risk of wrong decisions resulting in money being poorly spent decreases. This allows parents to be more open to the way the money is spent; in lower income groups, money spending is more tightly controlled and thus decision making regarding the spending of that money is not given to children. Research revealed that there was a significant increase in the weekly influenced purchases of families who had daughters as their second child, which leads us to conclude that girls play a more involved or influencing role in the purchase decisions of the family. The test of this hypothesis significantly decreased the sample size, as only those respondents who had a second child were qualified to respond. Despite that, this is a very useful insight for marketers that girls play a more contributing factor in the purchase decisions of their parents; however, this needs more study and research to understand in which specific cases and in which stage of the decision making process girls play a more crucial role than boys. It could also be linked to the consumer behavior of female consumers, specifically retail environment related, to understand how females grow to perform the act of shopping and enjoy it. Religion was initially thought to be a significant contributor to the susceptibility or tolerance that parents had for including their children in the buying decisions process. However, the research showed no significant relationship between the two. Religion plays a major role in developing a persons outlook towards life and in turn, his or her interactions and relationships with other people. For this reason, religion was assumed to be an important demographic consideration. Perhaps a bigger sample size would have been more appropriate for this particular characteristic or a different study design.

Recommendations Advertising Advertising and communication represent a significant portion in the development of any marketing plan. Advertising is also a very expensive, if mandatory, activity that needs careful budgeting. Marketers are accountable for the budget allocations that they make for advertising. In this respect, new insight that has been revealed in this study will prove very beneficial to marketers. This shows a unique customer experience where the parent takes his or her child to the retail outlet to make a purchase, and the final decision of product choice is made with mutual consent. If the childs input is discounted, marketers are actually ignoring 50% of their target audience and therein misallocating 50% of their advertising efforts. The brand managers of specific items that have been noted in this study including food items, playthings and apparelmust acknowledge children as their target audience. Advertising to children directly is a controversial topic, which was addressed later on, and thus brand managers, marketing directors, company executives, advertising companies, academics, and researchers must develop innovative and better ways of reaching out to this emerging group of conscious buyers. Consumer Psychology Marketers can no longer term parents as independent decision making consumers: their children play a very influential and important role. The target market of many brands needs to be revised in the marketing plans to include the category of children as influencers. This study has revealed that girls are more likely than boys to influence family purchases. Girls, from early on, are interested in buying new items for themselves and for the house, displaying specific preference between choices. This finding is in juxtaposition with the role of females as the homemakers who bring new things into the home based on their liking and judgment. It suggests that from a very young age girls consciously make shopping decisions. This reveals an entire new customer cohort. It can be surmised without much doubt that girls do not have the same level of information or experience as their mothers and fathers (or elder companions) and their decisions will most likely be based on incomplete information. As a matter of fact, the motivating factors behind their decisions might be something whimsical or infatuating. In light of this, marketers must target educational campaigns towards this class of consumers that would allow children to make more informed decisions to buy or not to buy a particular product. Furthermore, marketers need to capture the media through which kids can be reached and ensure that the message is understood by them (Acuff & Reiher, 1999). Finally, the need for action should be there whereby the child understands that he needs to communicate to his or her parent his need or want for a particular product. All of these aforementioned requirements must be addressed holistically in the campaign for it to be successful in catering to the children today. Marketing Ethics: Targeting Children The actuality that parents now include children very actively in household decision making leads to an important question: if parents today deem their children to be intelligent enough to be included in household decision making, then are they also intelligent enough to be targeted directly by marketing campaigns by companies? Marketers have been extremely wary of targeting this young group of consumers and yet extremely tempted in doing the same as children are increasingly gaining strength in buying power. Marketing to children has been a topic of much debate (Burrow, 2011) and the results of this research should be utilized by marketers to develop their plans.

It has been revealed that as the child grows older, his or her involvement in household purchases increases. This means that when the child is younger, for obvious reasons, parents prefer to make purchasing decisions independently. Only when the child is older and has more information and less naivet do the parents accept their input for household purchase decisions. Therefore targeting very young children, such as through cartoon programs, would prove fruitless as the parents of the target audience of these programs would not allow them involvement in purchasing at any rate. Finally, the marketing to children should be more educational in tone. This study, and many before it, has demonstrated that children are mostly influencers and not independent buyers; the parent represents the supreme authority and would make the eventual decision. Therefore, any marketing effort that attempts to cajole or persuade the child without adequate backup in terms of information and education would lead the parent to disregard the product entirely. This might even lead parents to believe the company to be claiming falsehoods. Cultural Influences This study focused on the demographic characteristics of consumers. The cultural influences play a very important role in defining the relation of parents and children. For example, the father-son relationship can manifest different shades in different cultures: in many Asian cultures, the father plays the role of a higher influence in the childs life rather than the role of a friend, as is manifested in Western cultures. For this reason, there is a communication rift, most likely born out of respect, in many Asian cultures between father and son, which would not allow the child to properly communicate his desires. This will have very different implications on the buying behaviors as well. Religion, which plays a very important role in shaping family life, was addressed in this study. However, the tests failed to bring any significant insight to life. As the sample size did not have significant representations from many religions, their impact on buying behaviors could not be assessed. It is strongly recommended that religion be further studied in a cultural context to further develop the research in this area. Researcher Reflections The existing literature on consumer buying behavior shapes the mind of the marketer and encourages certain biases and assumptions to be present. At the onset of this research, it was believed that particular demographic characteristics would, without fail, affect consumer buying behavior in a particular way. For instance, it was taken as given that the higher the income level of a family, the more autonomy each member of that family would enjoy. The particular demographic characteristics that had been chosen to be tested were selected for the very reason that these were expected to affect buying behavior in a particular way. Apart from a few instances, which were highlighted shortly, the tests managed to support the initial thoughts. The impact of religion was not expected to be inconsequential on the influence of children on their parents buying choices. The result was surprising and leads to the conclusion, if biased, that the sample size could have been bigger. However, all the other findings of the research are remarkable and useful insights and prove that the study design was sufficient. This research managed to demonstrate the usefulness and necessity of unique studies to supplement existing literature and encourage new work in the field. This study will prove to contribute its share to the body of knowledge on consumer behavior and entice future researchers to carry the work forward. Suggestions for Further Research The study findings mentioned in a previous section have unearthed interesting insight into the purchase behaviors of consumers. While the findings have provided

evidence in support of some popular notions, some results managed to surprise through refutation. Demography with respect to marketing and consumer behavior is a very important field and requires constant updating and research. With continuous changes in demographic characteristics and balances, generalizations to populations are increasingly difficult to make. Following are some important ideas that would ensure this body of work proves its utility. Reflect how the study expansion or implementation with different populations. Suggest possible different designs. Do not forget to mention any researcher surprises in the results. Regarding the characteristic of parental education, it was learnt that in those families where the mother has a higher education than a high school diploma, the total weekly influenced parental purchases quantitative amount was lower. Incidentally, a similar relationship was observed where the fathers education level was that of some college or associate degree; however, this correlation turned positive for fathers having an education of a bachelors or graduate degree. These particular results demonstrate an anomaly that needs further investigation as it shows a dichotomy based on (a) gender, and (b) insignificantly different education levels. It would be worthwhile to carry out an investigation with a bigger sample size involving a different variety of education levels. It is important to unearth the reason behind such a finding, as that would lead to newer insights into consumer psychology. This research provided significant evidence to support the notion that as children grow older, their say in household buying decisions increases. However, the exact age demarcations as to when their involvement is minimum and when it is significant was outside the scope of this project. It is recommended that further research be carried out regarding the exact age brackets of children showing when their parents are willing to involve them in their decisions. For further elaboration and consumer insight, it should also be assessed whether the parents were satisfied with the choices of their children at that particular age milestone. These insights would allow brand managers to develop better plans and save effort and money in marketing to children of the right ago only, and not younger. Elaborating on the point mentioned previously, a study highlighting the impact of advertising on influenced parental purchases would be very beneficial. Advertising accounts for a significant portion of the marketing budget; any insight that would help make it more targeted would contribute greatly to the field. Furthermore, research regarding means of advertising through proper and acceptable media, and in an educational, non-swaying manner would be beneficial and innovative. Advertisers and marketers are in constant need of new supply of information to allow them better and more refined ways of reaching their consumers. Apart from demography, cultural characteristics, schooling and peer pressures, and other possible factors that might have an influencing power in parental buying process need to be studied in detail. Summary and Conclusion The study described in the previous chapters was based on a single research question about the extent to which children influence their parents spending and whether this influence was based on the demographic characteristics of socioeconomic status, education level of parents, religion, age of child, and genders of children. The method of answering this research question was designed around quantitative tools of hierarchical multiple linear regression and ANOVA. The study used a self-report survey that was pilot tested and validated; the survey was carried out on zoomerang.com, utilizing the inputs of

343 prescreened participants. The dependent variable of parental purchases influenced by children was studied in relation to the independent variables of socioeconomic status, parental education level, religion, gender, and age of child. The results were compiled in Microsoft Excel. The results displayed that the majority of participants in the sample tended to be married, earn more than $50,000 annually, and practice Protestantism or Catholicism. Recoding was needed in frequency distributions as group memberships seemed too disparate, while the recoded groups had better frequency distributions. The findings of the study revealed that Hypotheses 1, 2, 3, and 5 were supported by research. There existed a relationship between the demographic characteristics and the weekly parental influenced purchases. The socioeconomic status and total amount of weekly influenced parental purchases for all levels was positively correlated, with weekly purchases increasing with increasing socio economic status. The relationship between child age and the total amount of influenced parental purchases was also positively correlated. As a child grew older, his involvement in parental purchases also increased. There was a significant difference in total weekly influenced parental spending among different education levels of mothers and fathers. For different levels of education of the father, specifically, influenced spending was very different, with the highest spending observed in the most educated group of bachelors degree or more. The results revealed that there was not a significant difference between the influenced purchasing of people belonging to different religious groups. This hypothesis was then rejected and the alternate accepted. The relationship between gender and the total amount of influenced parental purchases was positive: influenced parental purchases were higher when the child was a girl as compared to boy. This study has provided interesting and new insight into the buying behaviors of parents and how influenced they are by their children in their decisions. This influence is a function of various demographic factors. This information can prove to be very valuable to marketers, advertisers, brand and product managers, company management and parents. The product categories that were used as basis for this study (e.g. food items, playthings, and apparel) are relatively cheaper items. Literature reviewed prior to conducting the tests revealed that parents are more willing to include children in purchase decisions for less expensive items: this notion is supported by the tests of this current research. Research regarding quick consumption items such as playthings and food items (Mehrotra & Torges, 1977; Szybillo & Sosanie 1977), showed that children managed to influence their mothers and fathers purchase choices, which is supported by this research.