Day 055 - 25 Nov 94 - Page 68

     
     1        inaccurate."
     2
     3        Here we come to June Esserman's summary of Zuckerman &
     4        Gianinno:  "Studies by Zuckerman and Gianinno, reported in
     5        this volume, using a new non-verbal question technique,
     6        demonstrated that four year-olds can distinguish the
     7        product and characters in the commercial from the
     8        characters in the show.  Donahue and Myers' research which
     9        also used a non-verbal technique that suggests that even
    10        three year-olds can make this distinction and moreover,
    11        perceive in a simple way, the commercial's selling intent.
    12        The chapter by Gaines and Esserman reports on a new study
    13        on which four year-olds were able to verbalize in simple
    14        terms their recognition of the difference between the
    15        commercial and the show".
    16
    17        You have written that Zuckerman and Gianinno found that
    18        three-quarters of four year-olds were unable to
    19        differentiate between programmes and adverts.  So far, do
    20        you see a distinction between what you have written and
         what is written here?
    22        A.  I would want to look, refer back.  This is a summary
    23        here and it is not referenced.
    24
    25   Q.   You will also -----
    26        A.  She is summarising, so I think if we are going to talk
    27        about one particular piece of research, I would feel
    28        happier if we could specifically look at that rather than
    29        someone else's summary of it.
    30
    31   Q.   Yes.  We will have to do that on another occasion, but you
    32        will also get the opportunity to look at the Gaines and
    33        Esserman chapter which is there to referred to (which
    34        I tell everybody now is No. 5 in section C in file 2 of the
    35        references which I sent to you).  I read on:  "Similarly,
    36        the assumption that children are defenceless against the
    37        persuasive techniques of television and respond like
    38        programmed robots by requesting or buying anything
    39        presented in an attractive or amusing manner has been
    40        shown, in the 'Children Defences' chapter to be naive.
         Parents could have told researchers that years of watching
    42        and enjoying 'Popeye' cartoons in which this much admired
    43        central character became strong, heroic and successful
    44        whenever he ate spinach failed to persuade the children of
    45        America that they liked and wanted this vegetable.  To this
    46        day children rate it near the bottom of the list of foods
    47        they like regardless of their loyalty to 'Popeye'."
    48
    49        Ms. Dibb, that, you may think, is a realistic assessment of
    50        the nature of family life, and what it is like to be a 
    51        child, though it may have implications for the Health of 
    52        the Nation which are highly regrettable, would you agree? 
    53        A.  In your comments, I am not certain, are you referring
    54        to everything you have read out there?
    55
    56   Q.   No, I am referring to the bit about Popeye; it is and awful
    57        shame that children will not eat spinach?
    58        A.  I think Popeye is somewhat of an old chestnut.  I have
    59        heard it wheeled out on a number of occasions as some kind
    60        of argument that because children do not like spinach that