Intergenerational Communication and Influence on Consumption Scale
IGENIntergenerational communication and influence on consumption captures three dimensions of parent-to-child socialisation in consumer contexts: consumer skills (rational marketplace competencies such as budgeting and product evaluation), consumption-related preferences (brand, store, and product style preferences), and consumer attitudes (orientations toward advertising, salespeople, and pricing). Each dimension operates across two domains: communication (how often parents conveyed the content) and influence (how much the individual was influenced by parental opinions).
12 items
2000
α 0.64–0.92
Free
Viswanathan, M., Childers, T.L. & Moore, E.S.
What it measures
A 24-item scale (4 items x 6 subscales) measuring the degree to which parents have communicated and influenced their children's consumer skills, brand/store preferences, and attitudes toward marketing. The same 12 content items are used in both the influence and communication domains, distinguished by their response scale anchors. Validated in US, Thai, and student-parent dyadic samples. Alpha ranges 0.64–0.85 for individual subscales; 0.84–0.92 for overall communication and influence composites. Correlations among IGEN dimensions 0.44–0.88. Cross-cultural differences between US (higher IGEN scores) and Thai samples confirmed. Nomological validity from correlations with susceptibility to interpersonal influence and parent-child affection.
Representative items
- How to evaluate information related to a product, its price, its advertisements, and the stores where it is sold. (Consumer Skills)
- Why they buy the brands or products they purchase. (Preferences)
- Their views about product information provided by different types of advertising. (Consumer Attitudes)
- Whether to rely on salespeople to educate you when making a purchase decision. (Consumer Attitudes)
Citation
Viswanathan, M., Childers, T.L., & Moore, E.S. (2000). The measurement of intergenerational communication and influence on consumption: Development, validation, and cross-cultural comparison of the IGEN scale. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(3), 406–424.