SATURDAY, July 30, 2011 (HealthDay News) -- Daughters have a strong influence on the shopping behaviors of their mothers, but there is no similar effect the other way, a new study suggests.
The finding indicates that teens may have more impact on their parents than previously believed, according to Temple University researchers.
The study included 343 mother-daughter pairs who completed questionnaires about their purchases of personal items such as clothing and makeup. The average age was 44 for mothers and 16 for daughters.
Mothers who were young at heart, had high levels of fashion awareness and view their daughters as style experts tended to imitate their daughters' shopping choices. However, mothers didn't have the same effect on their daughters.
"This finding provides initial support for the notion of reverse socialization and suggests that the impact adolescents have on their parents is much more profound than has been credited to them," lead author Ayalla A. Ruvio, an assistant professor of marketing at Temple University's Fox School of Business, said in a university news release.
The study is slated for publication in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Consumer Behavior.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about the teen years.
