Children’s Attitudinal and Behavioral Response to Advergaming: Product Involvement, Brand Attitude, and Persuasion Knowledge

• In Event: Appeals to Young People Through Advertising and Programming

Abstract

The central aim of this study is to build upon previous research by investigating attitudinal and behavioural responses of children to advergames, taking into account product involvement, prior brand attitude and persuasion knowledge. 280 respondents between the ages of 10 and 12 years participated in the study. First, they were asked to complete a pre-test survey. Two weeks later, all respondents were asked to play an advergame and to complete a survey addressing attitudinal change, purchase intention, persuasion knowledge and attitude towards the game. Our analysis reveals that attitude changes are greater for brands with positive prior brand attitude. Further, children reported stronger intentions to buy high-involvement products and brands previously evaluated positively. Neither purchase intentions nor attitudinal changes varied according to the level of persuasion knowledge (low/high). This finding confirms that persuasion knowledge is still of limited effectiveness in minimising the vulnerability of children to the effects of advergaming.

Authors

• Ini Vanwesenbeeck, U of Antwerp - Department of Communication Studies

• Michel Walrave, U of Antwerp

• Koen Ponnet, U of Antwerp