Comparing Children's and Adults' Cognitive Advertising Competences in the Netherlands

TLDR

The study investigates the age at which children attain adult-level cognitive advertising competences. The authors surveyed 294 children aged 8–12 and 198 adults aged 18–30 using a computer‑assisted questionnaire to assess when children reach adult levels of advertising recognition and understanding of its selling and persuasive intent. Results show that by ages 9–10 most children achieve adult‑level advertising recognition, but even at age 12 they have not yet reached adult‑like understanding of advertising’s selling and persuasive intent, with comprehension of selling intent emerging earlier than that of persuasive intent. Keywords: adults, advertising literacy, children, cognitive advertising competences, television advertising; acknowledgments thank Carolien Parigger, Bart Monné, and Simone de Droog.

Abstract

Abstract This study examines the age at which children reach adult levels of cognitive advertising competences. In a computer-assisted survey of 294 children (8–12 years) and 198 adults (18–30 years), we investigate at what age children reach adult levels of (1) advertising recognition, and (2) understanding of advertising's selling and persuasive intent. Our findings show that around the age of 9–10, most children have reached an adult level of advertising recognition. However, at age 12, children have still not acquired an adult-like understanding of advertising's selling and persuasive intent. Finally, children's understanding of the selling intent of advertising develops before their understanding of its persuasive intent. Keywords: adultsadvertising literacychildrencognitive advertising competencestelevision advertising Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Carolien Parigger and Bart Monné for their assistance with the development of the measurement instrument and Simone de Droog for her assistance with the data collection.