Date of Award:

5-1983

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education

Department name when degree awarded

Home Economics Consumer Education

Committee Chair(s)

Jane McCullough

Committee

Jane McCullough

Committee

Brent Miller

Committee

Jan Winters

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the amount of time spent shopping by family members. The researcher also intended to identify factors that influence the amount of time devoted to shopping. Data for the study came from the Utah portion of the "Interstate Comparison of Urban/Rural Families' Time Use" which involved 210 two-parent/two-child families in Utah. Data were collected through interviews with the homemakers in each family using diaries and an information questionnaire. Shopping time of the homemaker, spouse, and children were analyzed.

The factors considered included employment status of the homemaker, place of residence, family income level, age of younger child, and the number of family members 16 and elder. Statistical analysis W3S done using a Pearson product moment correlation, a t test, and analysis of variance.

Findings revealed that shopping is an activity that consumes approximately 10% of total housework time of all family members. The homemaker spends more minutes per day shopping than any other family member. Time spent in paid employment by the homemaker seems to be the major factor influencing her time spent shopping. The more time spent in paid employment, the less time the homemaker spent shopping.

The factors influencing the shopping time of children are level of family income and age of child. As level of family income increases, the amount of time spent shopping by the child increases. It was found that as children get older, they spend less time shopping.

The shopping time of the wife was the only factor related to the shopping time of the husband. As the wives' shopping time increased, the amount of time spent shopping by husbands also increased.

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