This study uses a multitrait, multi-informant approach to examine the relationships between family communication and adolescent involvement in consumer activity using two measures of family communication, one that measures the general quality of communication between parents and adolescents, and another that measures the frequency of consumption-specific communication between parents and adolescents. In addition, the perceptions of mothers, fathers, and adolescents are used in the analysis. Findings show that the two communication constructs are conceptually distinct. Positive relationships between the communication constructs and adolescents’ consumer activities are found; however, the presence of significant relationships depends on which individual family members’ or family member dyads’perceptions are used in the analysis. On the basis of the findings, several suggestions for future research are discussed.
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