The findings of this study indicated that children's capacity to comprehend television advertising is primarily a developmental phenomenon, although social and experiential factors may have a moderate positive and a minor negative influence, respectively. Research subjects were 289 elementary school boys of first, third, and fifth grade levels, equally divided among the three groups. Canonical correlation analysis was utilized in a broad application of Piaget's theory to assess the relative contribution of developmental, social and experiential factors to children's comprehension of television advertising. Comprehension was operationally defined as cognitive understanding of the general structure and intent of commercials and demonstration of a selective attitudinal response toward them. (RB)