University of Hertfordshire

Concern about the influence of advertising on children and ‘pester power’ is frequently expressed by the media, parents and government. Advertising and its impact on children is a rich area for research blamed in part, as it is, for the current obesity crisis, the rise in binge drinking among teenagers and materialism in young people. To date our research has focused on answering the following questions.

• Do children understand the purpose of advertising?
• How does it influence their behaviour?
• Can it have long term and undesirable effects?

A key feature of our research is adopting a developmental approach to methodological issues. This includes being aware that children, for developmental reasons, cannot always articulate their knowledge. For this reason we have developed new methodologies that access both implicit and explicit knowledge.

Professor Pine’s article entitled Consumer Kids: How TV advertisers get into the minds of children - (download .pdf file)

Our research includes investigations into the influence of toy advertising at Christmas, children’s understanding of advertising and persuasion, and whether children as young as 4 are influenced by brands. However, our most extensive research has been into the impact of exposure to alcohol advertisements in childhood and whether this influences later alcohol behaviour. This research was part-funded by Ofcom, the broadcast advertising regulator, and informed changes in policy.

Pine, K.J., Wilson, P. & Nash, A.S. (2007). The relationship between television advertising, children’s viewing and their requests to Father Christmas.
Journal of Developmental and Behavioural Pediatrics, 28(6):456 - 461

Pine, K. J. & Nash, A.S. (2003). Barbie or Betty? Brand awareness in pre-school children and evidence for gender linked differences. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 24, 4, 219-224.

Pine, K. J. & Nash, A. S. (2002). Dear Santa: The effects of TV advertising on young children. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 26, 6, 529-539.
(download .pdf file - DearSanta)

Nash, A.S. (2002) Children’s responses to alcohol advertising on television: a summary of recent research. Annex to Ofcom’s 2004 consultation on alcohol advertising.

Nash, A.S. (2005) Can advertising change a drinking culture? Paper presented at Alcohol Related Harm – a growing crisis, time for action! Conference organised by The Royal College of Physicians and the British Society of Gastroenterology, at the Royal College of Physicians, London, January 2005