Conflict in the Family Over Commercials

White, UMc children from first, third, & fifth grades (N = 48 from each) were told story beginnings involving the main characters in the presence of their parents, watching a favorite TV program interrupted repeatedly by a particular commercial advertising either a food product, a toy, or a clothing item. Children were then asked 5 guided questions. Responses were: they thought the character felt like asking their parents to buy them the product (90%), they actually did ask them (57% - 75% of the third graders), the child asked both parents (43%), only the father (10%), or only the mother (46%). Over 66% felt that the parents would yield to the purchase requests. Answers to "What happened when the parent(s) said no?" were classified as unpleasant affect (33%), acceptance (23%), aggression (22%), persistence (16%), & irrelevant response (5%). Children from the third grade (in addition to making more purchasing requests) seemed especially less prone to accept parental refusal & more likely to react aggressively when faced with frustration. 1 Figure. A. Sbragia