'Researching the effect of advertising on children is not useful.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Useful: Children are more likely to be influenced they are young, malleable and naïve.
2. Useful: Children observe and imitate: a film character using a product is likely to be imitated by children.
3. Useful: Studies have shown that children identify with products and cartoon characters (and others) that are associated with products (e.g. M&M's 'creatures').
4. Useful: Children are major consumers, they eat food and drink, and advertising e.g. 'Ronald McDonald' leads children to eat burgers which may well continue long into adulthood.
5. Not useful: Children are not major consumers; they do not purchase houses, cars, major goods or food for the family. Advertising for children has little effect on major household purchases.
6. Not useful: Children are at an early stage in life and they will grow, change and develop in very different ways; children are not miniature adults, they are very different.
7. Not useful: What applies to children today will not apply tomorrow. Technology, for example, is ever changing so advertising to children a product today will have little effect when they become adults ten or more years later.