An Investigation of Consumer Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour of Quebec English Public CEGEP Students as a Basis for Consumer Education Curriculum Development

The author invistaged the consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of a probability sample of English public CEGEP students in Quebec to provide a basis for the development of consumer education curricula. Her results indicate that consumer knowledge and/or self assessment is low in the area of personal finances, credit usage and consumer protection. The author found that language and gender are significantly associated with consumer knowledge scores; lower scores are more likely if a language other than French or English was spoken in the childhood home, and if the student is female. The author also found that previous courses taken with consumer related content significantly improved consumer knowledge scores. The author concludes that respondents are aware of their level of consumer knowledge based on self assessment and knowledge scores obtained. Generally, respondents judge school and the family as the most useful sources of consumer knowledge; the contribution of the family is not valued highly by respondents who spoke a language other than French or English at home. Support for courses in consumer education is almost unanimous.

PhD dissertation

McGill University

Montreal

1987

xvii-197p.

en