11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)

“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's

Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

Peer Influence and Adolescent Spending: Insights into High School Students’
Buying Behavior

Koji Kharyll O. Anaya1, Jairam Ronald M. Piquero2, Chris John P. Romero3, Yvonne
Lynne M. Sales4, Paula Ashlee N. Suñga5, Mercedes M. Ibañez6, Rowena Imelda A.
Ramos7, Gerardo M. Asi8*

Adventist University of the Philippines

[email protected]

ABSTRACT
This study investigates the impact of implicit peer pressure on impulsive buying behavior
among senior high school students in the Philippines, addressing a gap in existing research.
Impulse buying, characterized by spontaneous and unplanned purchases, can significantly
affect financial stability, especially among adolescents influenced by their peers. Employing a
descriptive-correlational approach, the researchers collected data from 108 students at a faith-
based institution using a survey. Analysis revealed a weak positive correlation (r = 0.273)
between implicit peer pressure and impulsive buying, suggesting that while peer pressure has
some impact, it is relatively minor. The study highlights the need for comprehensive
educational programs that address various factors influencing consumer behavior, including
peer pressure, financial literacy, and marketing strategies. The results indicate that while
implicit peer pressure contributes to impulsive buying, other factors likely play a more
significant role. Educators and parents should focus on promoting informed decision-making
and critical thinking about purchasing influences. Future research should explore additional
variables to gain a more nuanced understanding of impulsive buying behavior.

Keywords: peer influence, implicit peer pressure, impulsive buying behavior

INTRODUCTION
Fostering and upholding responsible consumer behavior can significantly influence our
financial prospects. The way individuals perceive and manage our finances exerts far-reaching
consequences on our overall well-being. Impulse buying is a situation in which the customer
makes a spur-of-the-moment purchase and the decision to buy a product is made just before
the purchase is made without any pre-planning or process (Gottumukkala & Kalvakolanu,
2023).

As a student enters high school, the influence of financial peer pressure becomes a
lasting aspect of their life. According to Beatty and Ferrell (1998) and Thürmer et al. (2020),
peer pressure can cause young individuals to make impulsive purchases. Notario (2022) stated
that peer pressure is the influence of peers or people a person sees as the same as their level.
This can include their friends, classmates, colleagues, and family members of the same age
group. It’s worth noting that peer persuasion can be either positive or negative and can manifest
in a variety of ways (Saxena, 2023). According to Siff (2018), implicit peer pressure refers to
1180
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

when someone does something out of fear not to feel left out or be an outcast. It is tied to
societal pressure, wherein no one directly pressures someone to do something; it is more about
the surroundings.

Teens are particularly receptive to peer influence since their brains experience changes
that make them aware and adapt to social situations (National Institutes of Health, 2022). As a
result, they are easily influenced to act following their peers' behavior or what their peers expect
them to do. They may be impacted by their actions or merely by their impulse habits. Thürmer
et al. (2020) stated that peer pressure has been seen to have a more aggressive and manipulative
stand on impulse buying, with an ability to cause young adults to make sudden impulsive
choices with the support of peers since it was shown that people tend to spend more money
when they are among friends than when they are alone (Winingshi et al., 2018; Kumar et al.,
2022).

In the Philippines, there is still limited literature that directly links implicit peer pressure
and impulsive buying, particularly those that delve into senior high school (SHS) students and
their ability to react to peer pressure when it comes to their purchases. Moreover, foreign
research conducted on this topic does not provide evidence that the results transcend through
different cultural backgrounds and age groups. It is in this view that the purpose of this study
was to determine whether implicit peer pressure influences the impulsive buying of senior high
school students. Hence, they were able to provide recommendations that would eventually help
improve senior high school students’ finances in the face of implicit peer pressure.

LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Gulati (2017), peer pressure can have both positive and negative effects
on purchasing decisions since peer pressure exerts a significant impact on consumer buying
behavior, leading individuals to base their purchases on the expectations of their peers.
According to Beatty and Ferrell (1998) and Thürmer et al. (2020), peer pressure can lead to
impulsive purchases among young adults. Young consumers are seen to use the support of their
friends to acquire products and may appear to act irrationally in making their buying decisions
with peer support, causing them to acquire a product impulsively (Mowen & Minor, 1995; Wu-
Chung & Tzung-Cheng, 2010). Additionally, peers cause younger consumers to behave
impulsively when acquiring a product that may be irrelevant to them (Wu-Chung & Tzung-
Cheng, 2010).

Another study conducted by Luo (2005) presents that the presence of peers increases
the urge to purchase, while the presence of family members decreases it. In the context of
fashion products, advertising, discounts, and peers were discovered to have a partial effect on
impulsive buying, with peers being one of the factors that influence impulse buying behavior
(Harpepen, 2022). Similarly, a study conducted in Mongolia shows that peers and family
members have a considerable influence on customers' impulsive buying behavior (Gantulga &
Dashrentsen, 2023). In the context of online shopping, relationships with peers and affiliation
with peer groups were found to influence peer communication, which in turn increased the
1181
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

desire to buy impulsively and spurred impulse buying behavior (Kusmaharani & Halim, 2020).
Furthermore, Efendi et al. (2019) found that peers moderated the mediation of economic
literacy on impulsive buying, showing their importance in influencing impulsive purchases.

In recent research conducted by Smith and Johnson (2023), it was emphasized that
impulsive buying and peer pressure are associated. Accordingly, vulnerable students make
irrational decisions when they face peer pressure to keep updated on the latest trends and
preferences to be accepted by their friends. This notion is further enhanced using social media.
This is evident in the study of Brown et al. (2022). Their findings underscore the significance
of targeted interventions to promote financial literacy, manage peer pressure, and empower
responsible consumer habits among high school students. Addressing this issue will foster a
generation that can make informed decisions and responsible choices in their purchases.

The Theory of Reasoned Action by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen (1975) and the
Theory of Planned Behavior by Icek Ajzen (1985) were developed to explore the psychological
factors that influence individual decision-making and performance of behaviors. These social-
cognitive models have been utilized to investigate how attitudes, social pressures, and
perceived control influence intentions and behaviors across domains, including consumer
research. Using these frameworks to analyze these relationships shows that complex peer
interactions influence impulsive buying behaviors and purchase intents.

This literature review suggests that peer pressure significantly influences impulsive
buying behaviors among young people. Studies indicate that peers can both encourage and
prohibit impulsive purchases. The presence of peers increases the desire to buy impulsively.
According to some studies, females are more prone to impulsive buying than males. This study
targeted the influence of peer pressure on purchasing behavior among high school students.
The goal is to provide recommendations to improve the financial decision-making of students
facing peer pressure.

METHODS

The study used a descriptive-correlational approach. This design aims to describe and
analyze implicit peer pressure among senior high school students and its relationship with
impulsive buying. A descriptive approach was used to detail the extent of peer pressure, while
a correlational approach assessed its impact on impulsive buying.

Data gathering proceeded with the approval of the school’s principal and after obtaining
clearance from the university’s ethics research board. Both printed and online questionnaires
were utilized. The research involved 313 senior high school students from a faith-based
institution in Barangay Puting Kahoy, Cavite. Using simple random sampling, with 12 students
chosen per section based on an attendance sheet, 108 students were selected to participate in
the study.

1182
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

The survey questionnaire was adapted from previous studies. The implicit pressure
questionnaire was from the study of Chang et al. (2019), while the impulsive buying
questionnaire was a modified version of the studies of Kim (2003) and Borromeo et al. (2022).
The implicit pressure questionnaire showed an acceptable level of consistency, while the
impulsive buying questionnaire obtained a good level of reliability.

Students’ responses were managed using Jamovi. Descriptive statistics, particularly

mean and standard deviation, were used to determine the levels of implicit peer pressure and
the extent of impulsive buying behavior. Person’s correlation coefficient and regression were
utilized to assess the association between implicit peer pressure and impulsive buying behavior.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results of the analyses are presented in this section. Discussions are given to describe
the results of the analyses.

Level of Implicit Peer Pressure

Table 1 shows the level of senior high school students’ experience with implicit peer
pressure. The respondents accumulated a low implicit peer- pressure, with an overall mean of
2.24 and a standard deviation of 0.67. This implies that while there is some level of implicit
peer pressure, it is not overwhelming, and respondents rarely feel compelled to spend to
maintain social status within their peer group.

Table 1
Level of Implicit Peer Pressure
Items M SD Scaled Verbal
Response Interpretation

1. I spend more when I am with my 3.39 1.26 Sometimes Moderate

friends.

2. I am involved in money-spending 3.34 1.07 Sometimes Moderate

activities with friends.

3. I buy the same product that my 2.23 1.00 Rarely Low

friends buy to not feel left out.

4. I am expected to go along with my 1.76 0.99 Rarely Low

friends' financial decisions.

5. I overspend to keep up with my 1.73 0.94 Rarely Low

friends.

1183
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

6. I buy products to impress my 1.72 0.98 Rarely Low

friends.

7. I feel the need to spend money to 1.58 0.89 Rarely Low

maintain my social status within
my group.

Grand Mean 2.24 0.67 Rarely Low

Legend: 1-1.49 = Never/Very Low; 1.50-2.49 = Rarely/Low; 2.50-3.49 = Sometimes/Moderate; 3.50-4.49 =

Often/High; 4.50-5 = Always/Very High

Extent of Impulsive Buying

Table 2 presents the extent of impulsive buying. With an overall mean of 3.06 (SD = 0.84),
respondents evaluated their impulsive buying as moderate. Sometimes when they see a good
deal, they struggle to resist the urge to buy (mean = 3.43; SD = 1.18), and sometimes they
regret making purchases on impulse (mean = 3.42; SD = 1.07). The results show that the
respondents sometimes buy things without thinking (mean = 2.29; SD = 1.17). This implies
that while impulsive buying is not overwhelmingly prevalent, it is still a notable aspect of their
consumer behavior.

Table 2

Extent of Impulsive Buying Behavior

Items M SD Scaled Verbal
Response Interpretation

1. When I see a good deal, I 3.43 1.18 Sometimes Moderate

struggle to resist the urge to
buy.

2. I regret making purchases on 3.42 1.07 Sometimes Moderate

impulse.

3. I get excited when I make an 3.19 1.29 Sometimes Moderate

impulse purchase.

4. When I spot a nice price, I buy 3.06 1.26 Sometimes Moderate

more than I expected.

5. If I see something I want, I buy 3.06 1.27 Sometimes Moderate

it.

1184
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

6. I go shopping to boost my 2.95 1.14 Sometimes Moderate

mood.

7. I buy things without thinking. 2.29 1.17 Sometimes Moderate

Grand Mean 3.06 0.84 Sometimes Moderate

Legend: 1-1.49 = Never/Very Low; 1.50-2.49 = Rarely/Low; 2.50-3.49 = Sometimes/Moderate; 3.50-4.49 =
Often/High; 4.50-5 = Always/Very High

Relationship of Implicit Peer Pressure and Impulsive Buying

Table 3 showcases the result of the study on the relationship between implicit peer
pressure and the impulsive buying of senior high school students. As the table presented shows,
implicit peer pressure is significantly related to impulsive buying with correlation coefficients
of 0.273 (p =.004). The relationship is low positiveindicating that if the senior high school
students felt implicitly peer-pressured, there is a small but existent tendency for them to be
impulsive buyers. This suggests that only a small portion of the implicit peer pressure is
associated with the impulsive buying of students. There could be other unknown variables
influencing both.

Table 3
Relationship of Implicit Peer Pressure and Impulsive Buying Behavior
Implicit
Peer Pressure
Impulsive Pearson Correlation .273 **
Buying
Sig. (2-tailed) .004

Verbal Interpretation Significant

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)

The finding is in line with the research of Beatty and Ferrell (1998) and Thürmer et al.
(2020) which found that peer pressure can indeed lead to impulsive purchases among young
adults. This aligns with the notion that individuals may feel compelled to conform to peer
expectations and make impulsive buying decisions to fit in with their social groups.

However, as the presented result suggests, there is a weak correlation between implicit
peer pressure and impulsive buying. As shown in the research by Harpepen (2022) in the
context of fashion products, advertising, discounts, and peers were discovered to have a partial
effect on impulsive buying, with peers being one of the factors that influence impulse buying
behavior, suggesting that there are other unknown factors or variable that could affect impulse
buying aside from implicit peer pressure.

1185
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

Furthermore, studies by Wu-Chung & Tzung-Cheng (2010) suggest that peers can influence
impulse buying behavior, even for products that may be irrelevant to individuals. This supports
the idea that peer pressure can lead to impulsive purchasing habits among senior high school
students, as they may feel pressured to follow the trends and preferences of their peers.
Moreover, the study by Luo (2005) claimed that peers increase the urge to make purchases.

Predictor of Students’ Impulsive Buying

The result of the linear regression is presented in Table 4. The p-value of 0.004 indicates
that the regression model is statistically significant. This is confirmed by the t-value of 2.94,
confirming that implicit peer pressures are a significant predictor of impulsive buying behavior.

However, with the R² value of 0.0745, it shows that implicit peer pressure has a relatively
small effect on impulsive buying behavior. The variance accounted for is only 7.45%. This
leads to the suggestion that other factors not included in the study are responsible for impulsive
buying behavior.

Table 4

Multiple Regression of Senior High School Students’ Impulsive Buying

R R² R² df F t p
Model Change
Impulsive 0.273 0.0745 0.0659 1 8.62 2.94 0.004
Buying

This result is in harmony with the findings from the study of Kusmaharani and Halin's (2020).
They found out that peer group identification and social media connections result in impulsive
buying behavior. The study of Putra et al. (2020) also suggests that the urge to purchase
impulsively can be fueled by peers.

CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION, SUGGESTION, AND LIMITATIONS

The results of the study show a low level of implicit peer pressure experience and a
moderate extent of impulsive buying behavior. The findings of the study uncover the
connection between implicit peer pressure and impulsive buying behavior. However, the results
suggest a positive but weak correlation between these variables, indicating only a minor
influence of peer pressure on impulsive buying behavior.

The results suggest that while implicit peer pressure significantly influences impulsive
buying behavior, the effect is relatively small. Thus, it is advisable that to mitigate impulsive
buying behavior, educators, parents, and students should not focus on peer pressure.
Intervention programs covering other topics such as self-control, financial literacy, and

1186
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

marketing strategies can be included to create environments that promote healthy spending
habits and critical thinking about making purchases.

Moreover, due to the relatively small sample size, it is recommended for future studies that a
diversified population be included. It is also recommended to incorporate a wide range of
variables and utilize different methodologies to gain a deeper understanding of factors that
influence impulsive buying.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank the students who participated in the study. They are
also thankful to the organizers of the 11th International Scholar’s Conference for allowing them
to present their papers.

REFERENCES
Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhl & J.
Beckmann (Eds.), Action control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11-39). Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69746-3_2

Beatty, S. E., & Ferrell, M. E. (1998). Impulse buying: Modeling its precursors. Journal of
Retailing, 74(2), 169-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(99)80092-X

Borromeo, E., Cai, G. A., & Etrata, A. (2022). Factors affecting impulse purchasing of Filipino
consumers in convenience stores. International Journal of Management Studies, 3(2).
https://doi.org/10.5555/ijosmas.v3i2.121

Brown, A., Smith, J., & Johnson, R. (2022). The impact of social media on impulsive buying
among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Psychology, 45(3), 217-232.
https://doi.org/10.31580/ijer.v2i2.907

Chang, L. Y., Lim, P. M., Teo, Y. Y., Yau, Y. Y., & Yeoh, Y. L. (2019). Spending behaviour
among university students: Case of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Kampar) (Doctoral
dissertation). UTAR. http://eprints.utar.edu.my/id/eprint/3918

Desai, A. (2020). Impulse buying demographic aspect. Journal of Management Research and
Analysis, 5(3), 236–238. https://doi.org/10.18231/2394-2770.2018.0037

Efendi, R., Indartono, S., & Sukidjo, S. (2019). The mediation of economic literacy on the
effect of self-control on impulsive buying behaviour moderated by peers. International
Journal of Economics and Financial Issues.
https://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/view/7738

Ekeng, A. B., Lifu, F. L., & Asinya, F. A. (2012). Effect of demographic characteristics on
consumer impulse buying among consumers of Calabar Municipality, Cross River state.
1187
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

Academic Research International, 3(2), 568-574.

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/effect-of-demographic-characteristics-on-
consumer-Ekeng-Lifu/fe39b40788d5f6f4474df9ccaa17d532cba1e9aa

Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to
theory and research. Addison-Wesley.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233897090_Belief_attitude_intention_and_be
haviour_An_introduction_to_theory_and_research

Gantulga, U., & Dashrentsen, D. (2023). Factors influencing impulsive buying behavior.
Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Humanitas, 24(1), 9–25.
https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0053.4041

Ghani, U., & Jan, F. A. (2011). An exploratory study of impulse buying behaviour of urban
consumers in Peshawar. International Conference on Business and Economics, 1, 157-
159. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/An-Exploratory-Study-of-the-Impulse-
Buying-of-Urban-Ghani/a1eadffa5a8798cdc1d850dba50ce382ec096864

Gulati, S. (2017). Impact of peer pressure on buying behaviour. Zenodo.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.820988

Harpepen, A. (2022). Pengaruh iklan, diskon dan teman sebaya terhadap impulse buying dalam
pembelian produk fashion. Al-Intaj, 8(1), 36.
https://ejournal.uinfasbengkulu.ac.id/index.php/Al-Intaj/article/viewFile/2768/2328

Kim, J. (2003). College students’ apparel impulse buying behaviors in relation to visual
merchandising (Master’s thesis). University of Georgia.
https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/kim_jiyeon_200308_ms.pdf

Kumar, D. S., Sudin, H., Othman, J., & Salehuddin, S. (2022). The influence of spending
behaviour among university students in Malaysia. Asian Journal of Accounting and
Finance, 4(3), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.55057/ajafin.2022.4.3.3

Kusmaharani, A. S., & Halim, R. E. (2020). Social influence and online impulse buying of
Indonesian indie cosmetic products. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, 10(2), 237.
https://doi.org/10.22441/mix.2020.v10i2.007

Luo, H., Chen, J., Li, S., Nie, Y., & Wang, G. (2021). Social exclusion and impulsive buying
among Chinese college students: The mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating
role of risk preference. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health, 18(21), 11027. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111027

Mowen, J. C., & Minor, M. (1995). Consumer behavior (4th ed.). Prentice Hall.

1188
 11th ISC 2024 (Universitas Advent Indonesia, Indonesia)
“Research and Education Sustainability: Unlocking Opportunities in Shaping Today's
Generation Decision Making and Building Connections” October 22-23, 2024

National Institutes of Health. (2022). The power of peers: Who influences your health? NIH
News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/09/power-peers

Notario, K. J. (2022). How peer pressure affects our personal finance. Rat Race Running.
https://ratracerunning.com/how-peer-pressure-affects-your-personal-finance/

Putra, M. F. G., Moeljadi, & Mugiono. (2020). The role of negative affect in mediating the
effect of susceptibility to interpersonal influence towards the urge to buy impulsively in
millennials: A case study on second wave coffee shops in Malaysia. South East Asia
Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, 23(1), 221-236.
https://seajbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SEAJBEL23-258.pdf

Saxena, S. (2023, October). Peer pressure: Types, examples, & how to respond. Choosing
Therapy. https://www.choosingtherapy.com/peer-pressure/
Siff, L. (2018). Peer pressure. Organization for Autism Research.
https://researchautism.org/college/peer-
pressure/?fbclid=IwAR1olrH2uLrtZx9fj1dBiXj6-7Tr3TjqjwjvQDA_J9KjjpQrfFNhFi-
LsZA#

Smith, J., & Johnson, R. (2023). Peer pressure and impulsive buying: A longitudinal study on
senior high school students. Journal of Youth Studies, 18(2), 134-149.
https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.9.01.2019.p8541

Thürmer, J. L., Bieleke, M., Wieber, F., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2020). If-then plans help regulate
automatic peer influence on impulse buying. European Journal of Marketing, 54(9),
2079-2105. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-05-2018-0341

Winingsih, E., Setyawati, D., & Afidah, K. (2018). Analysis of peer’s influence on academic
procrastination. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational
Sciences, 2017 (Vol. 2, pp. 289-293).
https://www.scitepress.org/Papers/2017/70493/70493.pdf

Wu-Chung, W., & Tzung-Cheng, H. (2010). The effect of purchasing situation and conformity
behavior on young students' impulse buying. African Journal of Business Management,
4(16), 3530-3540. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-effect-of-purchasing-
situation-and-conformity-Wu-Huan/de43799823ea07c469f52c179a05d6eceb56c987

1189