The International Encyclopedia of Media Studies, 7 Volume Set

27

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Advertising on Children

Moniek Buijzen and Patti M. Valkenburg

ABSTRACT

The effects of advertising on children have often been divided into two general types: intended effects (e.g., children's brand awareness, preferences, and purchase requests) and unintended effects (e.g., materialistic orientations, parent–child conflicts, and unhealthy eating habits). The first part of this chapter discusses theories of advertising processing. The second part reviews the literature on intended and unintended advertising effects. The third part addresses the factors that may moderate advertising effects, focusing on the role of children's development and parental communication. Finally, we discuss the social significance of the conclusions that emerge from the literature.

Children's Processing of Advertising

The past three decades have witnessed a dramatic commercialization of children's media environment. The financial attractiveness of the youth market, in combination with the growing number of media tools at the marketers' disposal, has led to significant increases in child-directed advertising. This chapter discusses the effects of advertising on children. These effects have often been divided into two general types: intended effects (e.g., children's brand awareness, preferences, and purchase requests) and unintended effects (e.g., materialistic orientations, parent–child conflicts, and unhealthy eating habits). The first part of this chapter ...