Emphasizing self-control related values buffers adverse effects of ancestral experiences of resource scarcity and harshness on offspring consumption traits

Abstract

In three studies, we show that self-regulation related consumption traits in offspring depend on ancestral experiences of resilience under conditions of resource scarcity and harshness. These intergenerational effects hinge on (grand-)parents' socialization behavior, highlighting self-control related values in their offspring (a critical component of resilience), which in turn affect offspring’s self-control and two self-regulation related consumption traits: the tendency to resist impulse buying and the tendency to resist (unwanted) peer pressure. Moreover, given the functionality of self-control related values in resilience to conditions of adversity, scarcity, and harshness, we demonstrate that parents high in trait self-control emphasize and cultivate these values in their offspring, particularly when present conditions are adverse, i.e., when living in countries with higher levels of resource scarcity and harshness. As such, our research contributes to the increasing literature on consumer resilience and on intergenerational transmission of consumption-related values by showing downstream consequences in the consumer self-regulation domain.