Abstract

In Chile, consumption has become the core of identity construction as a result of globalization and the neoliberal model. Adolescents are an important segment of the population which was affected by this transformation, since they constitute three different markets: the present, the future, and the influence on the family. A central aspect of consumption is the purchase decision making, which is divided in 3 styles: impulsive, planned, and compulsive. The aim of this study was to identify profiles of adolescents according to their purchase styles and exploring if they differ by sex, socioeconomic level, tendency to be influenced by peers and materialism. The study used a quantitative non-experimental design, of a correlational-multivariate type. Participants were selected using a two-staged sampling, which resulted in 1,108 adolescents, male and female, from La Serena, Coquimbo, Santiago, and Temuco. Participants answered a questionnaire which included: the Materialism Scale for Adolescents, the Questionnaire of Purchase Styles and the Scale of Susceptibility to Peer Influence on Consumption. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, 4 profiles were identified: compulsive buyers, planners, impulsive and diffuse. They had significant differences in socioeconomic status, tendency to influence peers and materialism. No significant differences were found regarding sex, but significant positive associations were found between materialism, peer influence, impulsive buying and compulsive buying, and a negative association between planned buying and materialism. Results are discussed considering the importance of economic literacy to achieve responsible and planned consumption. © 2023 by Psykhe