Effects of Hispanic Ethnic Identification on Marital Roles in the Purchase Decision Process

Abstract

The research reported in this article investigated the relationship between Hispanic ethnic identification and marital roles as couples proceed through the purchase decision process. Significant differences were found among the Hispanic ethnic identification groups in most of the decision stages for a variety of product categories, even after the effects of social class and length of marriage were removed. The findings of this study revealed a significant positive relationship between ethnic identification and husband dominance in decision making. However, because ethnic identification and product class interact with role specialization and relative influence in decision making, generalizations cannot be made about Hispanic marital roles in the decision-making process. Furthermore, the effect of ethnic identification on marital roles in decision making interacts with the phase of the purchase decision process.