Explores the communicative effectiveness of imprecise frequency descriptors within the context of consumer prescription drug advertising. Conducts two separate studies using a total sample of 147 adults. Finds that consumers are unable to accurately estimate the relative likelihood of side effect occurrence when a list of side effects are preceded…

Describes testing of a method for teaching people how to identify implied claims in advertising and keep from remembering them as asserted facts. Results show that training may have an effect on teaching the naive consumer to recognize potentially misleading statements. (Author/BK)

As the "New Deal" era of the "Great Depression" promised relief from the publicly perceived failures of business and industry, a corresponding attitude of consumerism arose, aimed at "Big Business's" accomplice, advertising. Across the nation, national and local consumer protection organizations arose, and nonconsumer…

In an age of little or no consumer protection, the St. Louis "Post-Dispatch," under the guidance of Joseph Pulitzer II, was the first and most successful practitioner of self-imposed censorship of advertising, a practice that continues to this day. Beginning on May 1, 1929, the "Post-Dispatch" announced an aggressive program of…

The Supreme Court tentatively extended First Amendment protection to commercial speech, but left the issue of defining and regulating deceptive advertising to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has employed tools such as the cease-and-desist order, affirmative disclosure, and corrective advertising. The FTC Act did not define deception, but…

This information brief discusses the impact of commercialism in schools. It asks the question of whether such advertising is supporting students or is simply selling access. It describes how children are a desirable market since they have most of their purchases ahead of them; they can also frequently convince parents to buy items. The brief…

Providing a basic overview of issues related to advertising and the consumer, this digest discusses the omnipresence of advertisements, suggesting ways for consumers to recognize advertising appeals. Deceptive advertising is discussed, with particular attention paid to financial advertising. (RS)

A review of the literature reveals that publishers have suggested that magazines would cost twice as much and newspapers five times as much if they were not supported by advertising revenues. However, recent research indicates that this is not true. Although statistics regarding magazine publication are easier to obtain than those regarding…

Self-regulation, as defined by the National Advertising Division/National Advertising Review Board (NAD/NARB), is a process whereby the advertising industry regulates itself and turns to the federal government only if the system fails. The NAD/NARB system involves a two-step process: complaints are initially handled by the NAD and then are either…

The report gives a picture, drawn from consumer research, of how the consumer perceives and uses advertising and establishes that the service advertising performs is at least comparable in value to the service it performs for manufacturers. Two major headings are included: (1) Advertising and the Consumer clarifies the terms, "advertising" and…

In order to determine the evidence upon which the Federal Trade Commission decides that an advertisement or other sales representation has the capacity or tendency to deceive, a census was conducted of the 3,337 cases in which such decisions have been made from 1916 through 1973. Findings showed that, of 22 categories of evidence, the three most…

Survey of 64 popular men's magazines and 47 women's magazines revealed that almost seven times as many over-the-counter drug advertisements were found in the latter than in the former. Most advertisements directed toward women concerned appearance; most directed toward men were for stimulants. Suggests enhanced regulatory efforts against…

Two levels of vividness and three levels of motivation were measured in reactions to product label warnings. Vivid product warnings proved to be an effective tool to communicate the hazards associated with product use. (JOW)

Describes technological, demographic, and market forces shaping the new digital media culture and the various Web sites being created for children and teens, explaining how heavily-promoted commercial sites overshadow educational sites. Discusses efforts to create safe Internet zones for children. Recommends actions to promote development of a…

A study investigated the effects of the newly introduced Surgeon General's alcohol warnings and advertisements on college students. One hundred fifty-nine undergraduates in communication sciences at the University of Connecticut viewed slides of alcohol products, with or without advertisements and warnings. Following the viewings, subjects filled…