Pester Power in Low Income Families

Abstract

Pester power is then the ability of a child to influence the purchasing choice of an adult using various tactics, the most common of which is repetitive nagging. There is a considerable amount of literature on ‘pester power’ in western societies, where children have been documented to be responsible for significant expenditure each. Western societies are assumed to have a higher level of disposable income, although even in these societies concern has been raised about the financial strain that families place themselves under in order to avoid conflict with their child. This exertion of ‘power’, by the child, often results in confrontations with parents but has also been found to be a successful influence strategy. In order to avoid conflict and or embarrassment the adult will often give in to the child’s requests. Parent’s willingness to purchase requested products is driven by the type of product requested by the child and the expense involved, and this has been shown to be understood by children. Children have been found to exert pester power on decisions and purchases relating to a wide variety of products, from relatively inexpensive purchases such as food to far more expensive items, such as a family car. Food has been described as the main battleground for pester power. Persistent nagging, bribery, trolley loading and psychological tactics have all been identified as pester power strategies.