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Introduction
The present study focuses on the product-involvement variable among a young consumer population. Interest in the product-involvement variable and its characteristics was prompted by extensive evidence that the product-involvement variable plays a considerable role in the behavior of adult consumers. Moreover, recent findings show that this variable also plays an important role in the way young people process marketing and advertising information ([35] Muratore, 2003; [44] Te'eni-Harari et al. , 2009). The importance of the product-involvement variable makes it imperative to clarify those factors which influence young people's product involvement. The study at hand explored five variables that might possibly influence product involvement: the young person's age, the subject's subjective product knowledge, parents' influence, peers' influence, and product category.
Literature review
The role of product involvement in consumer behavior
Product involvement reflects recognition that a particular product category may be more or less central to people's lives, their sense of identity, and their relationship with the rest of the world ([45] Traylor, 1981).
Researchers who study consumer behavior attribute a great deal of importance to the product-involvement variable. Studies have shown that product involvement can influence the decision-making process regarding a product, the extent to which consumers will search for information about the product, the timing in adoption of the product, the manner in which the consumer's attitudes and preferences regarding the product are influenced, the consumer's perceptions of alternatives in the same product category and brand loyalty ([4] Bauer et al. , 2006; [8] Brisoux and Cheron, 1990; [10] Celsi and Olson, 1988; [11] Charters and Pettigrew, 2006; [24] Iwasaki and Havitz, 1998; [29] Leclerc and Little, 1997; [32] Lin and Chen, 2006; [36] Park, 1996; [37] Park and Young, 1986; [39] Ram and Jung, 1994; [45] Traylor, 1981).
Moreover, studies have found that the product-involvement variable is a constant and stable variable, relative to many other variables; consequently, it may serve marketers and advertisers in the long-term ([23] Havitz and Howard, 1995; [24] Iwasaki and Havitz, 1998; [38] Quester and Smart, 1996).
All the above studies, however, focused on product involvement among adults, while up until now very little research has addressed product involvement among young people.
A recent study that examined product involvement among young people found that children notice sales...