Recognition of Persuasive Intent

The primary purpose of television advertising is to influence the attitudes and subsequent behavior of viewers. For adults, the recognition that a given message is a commercial triggers a cognitive filter or defense mechanism that takes into account factors such as the following: (1) the source of the message has other interests and perspectives than those of the receiver, (2) the source intends to persuade, (3) persuasive messages are biased, and (4) biased messages demand different interpretive strategies than do unbiased messages. When all of these considerations can be taken into account, then a child can be said to have achieved mature comprehension of the advertising process.

Young children, by virtue of their limited cognitive development, typically lack the ability to recognize the persuasive intent of television advertising until they reach seven to eight years of age. Prior to this point, children are generally egocentric and have difficulty taking the perspective of another person. This makes it difficult to recognize that commercial claims and appeals are likely to be biased or exaggerated in order to portray the advertised product in the most favorable light.

Some researchers, such as Thomas Donahue and his associates (1980), have argued that children may understand persuasive intent at a slightly earlier age. Such claims are made on the basis of evidence that indicates that younger children may report that a commercial wants the viewer to buy the advertised product. Such awareness, however, does not necessarily reflect an appreciation of persuasive intent. Just because a child understands that an advertisement seeks to sell a product, it does not automatically follow that the child will recognize the bias that is inherent in persuasive messages and therefore view advertising claims and appeals more skeptically. Overall, the weight of the evidence indicates that most children who are younger than about seven to eight years of age do not typically recognize that the underlying goal of a commercial is to persuade.