A Study on Consumption Tendencies and the Conspicuous Consumption of the Adolescent Consumer

This study examined the conspicuous consumption and consumption tendencies of the adolescent consumer and also identified factors that influence the adolescent consumer's conspicuous consumption and consumption tendencies. The data were obtained from a questionnaire completed by high school students(N=679), and were analyzed by ANOVA, and multiple regression analyses. The findings of this study are as follows: First, both the consumption tendencies and the conspicuous consumption of adolescent consumers were above average. Second, the consumption tendencies of adolescent consumers were related to the allowances they received. In particular, the consumption tendencies of adolescent consumers who spent allowances of more than won 20,0000 were higher than those of the other groups. In addition, the propensity for conspicuous consumption was related to the education level of parents, the parents' income, and the amount of the adolescent's allowance. Conspicuous consumption was shown to be higher when the parent's had graduate or postgraduate school degrees than when the parents were high school graduates. Although higher income was related to the propensity for conspicuous consumption, adolescent consumers who spent won 10,0000-20,0000 were more likely to exhibit conspicuous consumption than those who spend over won 20,0000. Third, the variables that had the most influences on consumption tendencies were commercials watched and the adolescent's group of friends, while the most effective variables that had the most influence on conspicuous consumption were consumption tendencies and consumer education level.