Surveys mall shoppers to determine the relative informativeness of retail advertising. Finds that newspaper advertisements are considered the most informative with radio commercials next and television commercials least. Finds that newspaper ads are more irritating than radio or television advertising. Finds older and wealthier shoppers more…

The majority of U.S. adults believe that smoking is a cause of lung cancer, but research suggests that the percentage of adults who believe smoking causes other types of cancers and chronic disease is lower. This study examines the correlates of beliefs about several established health effects of smoking in a nationally representative sample of…

This book presents cutting-edge research designed to stimulate and inform the debate over advertising to the children's market and the effects such advertising has on children. Perspectives are organized in sections to address what children know and think about advertising, how advertising works with children, and what issues are at the forefront…

Marketing and advertising support the U.S. economy by promoting the sale of goods and services to consumers, both adults and children. Sandra Calvert addresses product marketing to children and shows that although marketers have targeted children for decades, two recent trends have increased their interest in child consumers. First, both the…

Childhood overweight and obesity have been increasing over recent years and, more than ever, we are being called to act, whether as clinicians, parents or educators. The aim of this empirical research is to assess children's cognitive and emotionally internalized mental representation of a "Preferred" and "Healthy Meal," using…

With the baby boomers increasing in age, the number of older Americans is projected to increase to 82 million by 2050, an increase of 225% from the year 2000. But despite their growing numbers, older individuals continue to face negative attitudes toward them, their way of thinking, and their abilities. These negative attitudes result from the…

When assessing effects of advertisements on themselves and on people in their mid-40s and 70s, more than 30% of respondents drew upon negative stereotypes when making estimates about effects of advertising messages on the elderly. There was no difference between first-year university students and seniors majoring in advertising in the rate of…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 32 titles discuss a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the elderly audience for religious broadcasting; (2) response to television advertising of directly marketed products; (3) the effectiveness of documentary film…

In Western cultures, girls' self-esteem declines substantially during middle adolescence, with changes in body image proposed as a possible explanation. Body image develops in the context of sociocultural factors, such as unrealistic media images of female beauty. In a study of 136 U.K. girls aged 11-16, experimental exposure to either ultra-thin…

Focusing on the impact of advertisers' persuasive selling messages on consumers, this paper discusses topics relating to the theory of psychological type congruence. Based on an examination of persuasion theory and relevant psychological concepts, including recent cognitive stability and personality and needs theory and the older concept of…

Indicates that (1) both younger (four-five years) and older (seven-eight years) children were significantly less likely to discriminate commercial from program content when the host-selling format was viewed, and (2) older children are more favorably influenced by the same commercial content when it is seen in a host-selling presentation than in a…

This issue of "Media & Values" explores the influence of mass media on the perceptions about aging in our society. The essays present various interpretations of that influence and the implications for the society. Articles in the "Awareness/Analysis" section include: (1) "Granny Bashing: New Myth Recasts Elders as Villains" (Ronald F. Pollack);…

This annotated bibliography of 76 citations and abstracts focuses on communication with, by, and about the elderly. Publications span the period from 1949 to 1987. References to convention papers and materials that have not been published have been included only if available through the ERIC Document Reproduction Service or a similar organization.…