How Childhood Lessons Impact Adult Consumer Behavior

With a background as a professor and researcher, Juliano Laran, PhD, has taught consumer behavior and sought to understand the psychology behind consumer decisions. Dr. Laran co-authored the article “Loss of Control and Self-Regulation: The Role of Childhood Lessons” (Journal of Consumer Research), and examined situations in which consumers lose control over their experiences and environment.

This may occur when economic conditions become challenging, or the products readily available are not those required for daily survival. At these times, adult consumers tend to be guided by lessons instilled by their parents when they were children, which have become part of their worldview and value system.

Those with parents who had a demanding style tend to increase self-regulatory behavior when low control is experienced. By contrast, those who grew up under a permissive parenting style may decrease self-regulatory behavior in similar low control situations. These diverging pathways highlight the lasting impact that childhood experiences can have on adult consumer behavior.