Day 054 - 24 Nov 94 - Page 47
1 more, perhaps larger purchases such as a toy, they may have
2 also forgotten some of the food purchases. Then perhaps it
3 could be argued that it is an underestimate as regards
4 food, but again that is not clear. I think the point that
5 comes out of what can be termed "pester power" is to what
6 extent this can be deemed to be a problem. It is fair to
7 say that a certain degree of inter-reaction and discussion
8 and requesting the products is a normal part of family
9 behaviour.
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I noticed in one of the reports you referred
12 us to the mother who said she was really quite glad if her
13 child asked her to get something different because she was
14 fed up with buying the same old things each week.
15 A. There sometimes can be positive benefits as well as
16 negative ones. But as the research I quoted just now
17 shows, TV advertising can increase the level of request for
18 products, and the more TV advertising that children watch
19 the higher the level of their request. I would like to
20 refer to some research that shows the pester power can
21 create conflict between parents and child.
22
23 MR. MORRIS: Just before we leave that other document, on page 6
24 it has some of the figures that maybe you were looking for,
25 I am not sure.
26 A. In relation to age and social class?
27
28 MS. STEEL: It is 6 at the top of the page.
29
30 MR. MORRIS: It is point 5 at the bottom, of the two-thirds
31 figure.
32 A. Yes, that is the number who said that their parents had
33 bought it, 66 per cent. Yes, and on page 7 it does give a
34 breakdown in relation to what was requested.
35
36 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Is there a figure which tells us among
37 those who asked for food or cereal what proportion was
38 successful, because 72 per cent are toys of one kind or
39 another. So it would be possible, I am not saying it is
40 so, that if there were a high proportion of success with
41 toys and others, especially if, for instance, one was
42 approaching Christmas and the parent was quite happy to
43 know what the child would particularly like for Christmas,
44 it might be that there was a lower striking rate on food or
45 cereal, or the reverse might the position. Do you see what
46 I mean?
47 A. Yes.
48
49 Q. Because I am particularly concerned with food here.
50 A. Lower down from that -----
51
52 Q. I do not think the 21 per cent and 7 per cent helps on this
53 point.
54 A. No. I thought that was in relation to food.
55
56 Q. What I am asking, is there anything which gives the
57 information which is on page 6 as to proportions of yes's
58 and no's but in relation to food/cereals specifically as
59 opposed to the whole gamut of items requested?
60 A. Yes, the children were only asked to identify one such
