Identifying Adolescent Peer Group Structure:

The peer group has appeared to be a relevant and useful notion in consumer analysis. However, most empirical studies dealing with this subject have been criticized because of difficulties in identifying peer groups. To overcome these shortcomings, we conducted a first exploratory study using two methods (social network analysis and participant observation) to measure French teenage girls’ integration level within their peer group. We devoted a second quantitative study (n = 327) to the development of a measurement model based on social network method and applied to make-up consumption. Results showed that the link between teenage girls’ social integration level and the frequency of purchasing / using make-up products is largely mediated by the susceptibility to peer influence. Limits and potential future fields of research are put forward.

Citation:

Elodie Gentina and Marie-Hélène Fosse-Gomez (2011) ,"Identifying Adolescent Peer Group Structure:", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 394-400.