Day 054 - 24 Nov 94 - Page 32

     
     1        appears at the top of page 30, whether there is really any
     2        concern about -- I will use the phrase you have used --
     3        pester power -- I stress the "power" -- at a child who is
     4        four years of age or younger?
     5        A.  Yes, I think that there is.  I think it may be less
     6        than when a child is older but I think that it is there.
     7        I think from the advertising that I have seen, much of it
     8        is directed at very young children.  Children in the
     9        advertisements are preschoolers in some of the
    10        advertisements.  It is very young children who are likely
    11        to identify with these.  As I said earlier, children tend
    12        to identify with children slightly older than themselves,
    13        rather than with younger children.  The advertisements are
    14        designed to appeal to very young children.  I am sure that
    15        McDonald's have good evidence that it is worth their while
    16        to do that.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is what I am really asking; whether you
    19        are suggesting that a child of four years or under would
    20        really have much effect on a parent as to where they ate,
         if they were going to eat out, however much they clammered,
    22        as it were, but you think they do?
    23        A.  Yes, I am not certain that parents listen to children's
    24        requests more as they grow older.  I certainly think it
    25        could be actually more difficult with a younger child,
    26        because with an older child it may be possible to have a
    27        more of a reasoned discussion on the subject.  With a
    28        younger child -----
    29
    30   Q.   You can just say "no", can you not?
    31        A.  They are more likely to have a temper tantrum.
    32
    33   Q.   In that case they end up not eating out anyway and get
    34        taken home and made to eat their sprouts!
    35
    36   MS. STEEL:  Whether or I not they are successful in the end, do
    37        you think it is fair to say that they do put that kind of
    38        pressure on their parents?
    39        A.  Yes, I was going to come to the influence that children
    40        have in food purchases later in my evidence, but if you
         would like me to .....
    42
    43   Q.   We can leave it for now. There are some other parts of this
    44        that may be relevant.
    45
    46   MR. MORRIS:  Can you just read down that passage and just
    47        extract some important bits?
    48        A.  Yes, this is in relation to children's understanding of
    49        fantasy and reality.  As it says there, by four years of
    50        age children are beginning to distinguish between 
    51        television reality and every day life, but this is a 
    52        gradual process.  At about seven they can consider whether 
    53        any parts of the TV show exists in the real world.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:  So, it is not saying then at four years of age they
    56        can distinguish everything?
    57        A.  Not at all.
    58
    59   Q.   They are just saying they are starting to distinguish at
    60        that age?