Mass media exposure and disproportional influences on materialistic values and buying impulsiveness among urban youth

Abstract

Objective The literature onadolescent consumption behavior asserts that environmental features affect buying impulsiveness of the urban youth in Korea. This research assesses this assertion by examining adolescents' buying impulsiveness through the integration of mediating and moderating effects that exert influence on them. Method We used a structural equation model to evaluate the relationships between all constructs and the measurement errors of multi-indicators, and to determine whether the proposed relationships are supported by the data. Results School as an environmental feature did not universally influence adolescents' materialistic values, as its effect in this respect was instead moderated by students' level of exposure to mass media. When a high level of such exposure was present, school had a substantial impact on the presence and growth of materialistic values. In terms of another environmental feature, the influence of students' peers significantly increased their buying impulsiveness, while the influence of parents moderately decreased it. Conclusion This study contributes to the elaboration of a more comprehensive causal model of adolescents' buying impulsiveness.