A (a)   as one having at least two members related by birth, marriage, or adoption, one of whom is the householder (householder owns or rents the residence).

A (a)   is a householder living alone or exclusively with others to whom he or she is not related .

The (a)   — a family consisting of a couple, one or both of whom were previously married, their children, and the children from the previous marriage of one or both parents —is one missing form. 2

The term (a)   refers to a married couple and their own or adopted children living at home . Much publicity has been given to its demise, and this type of family has clearly declined over time.

The traditional view of the American household life cycle was quite simple. People married by their early twenties; they had several children; these children grew up and started their own families; the original couple retired; and the male would eventually die, followed after a few years by the female. This was known as the (a)   , and it was a useful tool for segmenting markets and developing marketing strategy.

American households follow much more complex and varied cycles today. Therefore, researchers have developed several models of the (a)   . All are based on the age and marital status of the adult members of the household and the presence and age of children.

Roughly 37 percent of children are born to unmarried mothers, a number that has risen by 10 percentage points since 1990. However, as many as 40 percent of these children may actually be born to cohabiting unmarried parents. Divorce, while on the decline since 1980, continues to be a significant part of American society, with 40 percent of first marriages ending in divorce. 14 Although most divorced individuals remarry and most women who bear children out of wedlock eventually get married, 9 percent of American households are single-parent families, and 79 percent of these are headed by women.

(a)  

The (a)   category is made up of people who have never married and those who are divorced and have no child-rearing responsibilities. These individuals are in the 35-to-64 age category, which includes the Generation X and baby boomers.

The lifestyle changes in the 1980s and 1990s influenced many young couples to not have children. 17 In other cases, these households represent second marriages in which children from a first marriage are not living with the parent. This group also includes married couples whose children have left home.

(a)  

Many members of the baby boom generation and Generation X delayed having their first child until they were in their mid-thirties. This produced the new phenomenon of a large number of middle-aged, established families entering into parenthood for the first time.

(a)  

A major difference between this group and delayed full nest I is age of the children. The children of full nest II are generally over age six and are becoming more independent. The presence of older children creates unique consumption needs, however. Families with children six and older are the primary consumers of lessons of all types (piano, dance, gymnastics, and so on), dental care, soft drinks, presweetened cereals, and a wide variety of snack foods.

(a)  

Single individuals in the 35-to-64 age group who have children are often faced with serious financial pressures. The same demands that are placed on the middle-aged married couple with children are present in the life of a middle-aged single with children.

(a)  

There are about 12.2 million households in this segment, and it is expected to grow rapidly over the next 10 years as baby boomers age. Many couples in the over-64 age group are either fully or partially retired.

(a)  

There are more than 16 million older singles in the United States, and this group will continue to grow as baby boomers age. Approximately 70 percent of all older singles are female, and roughly two-thirds of all older singles live alone.

(a)  

(a)   is the process by which decisions that directly or indirectly involve two or more family members are made . Decision making by a group such as a family differs in many ways from decisions made by an individual.

The family member who fi rst recognizes a need or starts the purchase process.

(a)  

The individual who has expertise and interest in a particular purchase. Different individuals may seek information at different times or on different aspects of the purchase.

(a)  

The person who infl uences the alternatives evaluated, the criteria considered, and the fi nal choice.

(a)  

The individual who makes the fi nal decision. Of course, joint decisions also are likely to occur.

(a)  

The family member who actually purchases the product. This is typically an adult or teenager.

(a)  

The user of the product. For many products there are multiple users.

(a)  

(a)   have traditionally occurred with the purchase of such products as automobiles, liquor, and life insurance. Wife-dominant decisions were more common in the purchase of household maintenance items, food, and kitchen appliances.

(a)   is the process by which young people acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes relevant to their functioning as consumers in the marketplace.

(a)   (0 to 2 years). During this period, behavior is primarily motor. The child does not yet “think” conceptually, though cognitive development is seen.

(a)   (3 to 7 years). This period is characterized by the development of language and rapid conceptual development.

(a)   (8 to 11 years). During these years, the child develops the ability to apply logical thought to concrete problems.

(a)   (12 to 15 years). During this period, the child’s cognitive structures reach their greatest level of development, and the child becomes able to apply logic to all classes of problems.

(a)   are those capabilities necessary for purchases to occur such as understanding money, budgeting, product evaluation, and so forth.

(a)   are the knowledge, attitudes, and values that cause people to attach differential evaluations to products, brands, and retail outlets.