How much parents spend on their children's education has a big impact on family well-being and a country's overall development. While past studies suggested that ethnic and racial backgrounds affect this spending, they lacked solid experimental proof – making their findings less reliable.
A new study led by Lingjiang Lora Tu, Ph.D. , from Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business examines the psychological factors driving parental investment in education, highlighting how a parent's self-view – whether they see themselves as independent or connected to others – shapes their spending patterns. Published in the Journal of Business Research, the study – We" spend more than "I": The impact of self-construal on parental education spending – also challenges cultural stereotypes by showing that differences in parental education spending are driven by psychological factors, not ethnicity..
"The study shows that parents' self-view – whether as independent or as part of a collective – plays a more crucial role than ethnicity or race in how they prioritize their children's education," Tu said. "These findings have important implications for understanding parental education spending and designing effective interventions."
Building on the concept of the "working self-view," Tu's research shows that context determines which aspect of the self is activated in parents. When the independent self is active, the focus is on individuality and standing out. When the interdependent self is active, the focus shifts to relationships and connections. At any given time, only one aspect is active, shaping parents' decisions and behavior.
Key findings
Using data from 72 countries and a series of four experiments, Tu's study revealed that how people see themselves plays a key role in shaping education spending regardless of ethnicity or culture. In addition, factors like personal identity threats and how well personal and parental identities fit together can either strengthen or weaken this effect.
Key findings included:
- When the interdependent self is active, parents prioritize their parental identity, leading to higher spending on their children's education.
- When the independent self is active, parents focus more on their personal identity, resulting in lower spending on their children's education.
However, the study also identified circumstances that can either amplify or reverse these effects:
- Personal Identity Threats: Independent parents increase spending when their personal identity is challenged, while interdependent parents reduce spending.
- Parental-Personal Identity Integration: When parents see their roles as parent and individual as complementary, the gap in spending between the two groups narrows.
Tu said the research challenges stereotypes, such as the "Asian effect," by demonstrating that variations in parental education spending stem from psychological factors rather than ethnicity. In addition, the findings offer actionable strategies for policymakers, educators and marketers to address spending disparities effectively:
- Education campaigns can encourage greater investment in children's education by activating parental identity or highlighting the harmony between personal and parental identities.
- Policies can address parents' self-views to help reduce disparities in education spending across cultural and ethnic divides.
- Marketers can craft messages that align with parents' self-views to improve engagement and effectiveness.
"Our research suggests moving beyond culture, ethnicity, race or gender as primary determinants of parental investment behaviors. We encourage scholars, practitioners and policymakers to embrace the complexity of identity and consider parents' self-construal as a significant and influential factor in understanding parenting dynamics and family consumption behaviors," the researchers wrote.
Funding
The research was supported by ACR/Sheth Dissertation Grant awarded to Dr. Tu, an international research grant at the University of Texas at San Antonio and The Barry Gross Family Endowed Research Fund at Baylor University.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Lingjiang Lora Tu, Ph.D. , is a clinical associate professor of marketing in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. Her research centers on consumer behavior, particularly examining the influence of psychological factors such as identity, power distance belief, self-construal and thinking styles on decision-making. Tu's work has received notable recognition, including the Sheth Dissertation Award from ACR and the Best Paper Award from AMA. Her research has been published in leading marketing journals, including Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Letters and International Journal of Research in Marketing.
Huachao Gao, Ph.D. , is an associate professor of marketing in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on the impact of consumer identity, such as cultural identity, local-global identity and gender identity, on various of consumer behaviors (e.g., luxury consumption, educational choices, pricing perception, food waste). His research articles have appeared in journals, including Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research and The Journal of Academy and Marketing Science. He currently serves on the editorial review board of Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of Business Research.
Yinlong Zhang, Ph.D. , is the Tom C. Frost Endowed Professor in International Business and a professor of marketing at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His recent research focuses on consumer psychological issues and their marketing implications for globalization and cross-cultural differences. Zhang's research has been published in leading journals in both marketing and psychology, including International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu .
ABOUT THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business strives to further God's kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School's top-ranked programs make up approximately 25% of the University's total enrollment. Visit the Hankamer School of Business website
