John Kenneth Galbraith maintains that advertising is the prime instrument for the management of total consumer demand and results in increased consumption. Galbraith also maintains that television is a more effective advertising tool, in that it reaches people in all spectrums of intelligence. Other economists disagree, holding that it is actually…

Unlike other economic goods whose worth can be determined through market research, the market place for information denies the creator of that information the preferences of consumers. Copyright may be considered partial compensation. Copyright, however, is not an aspect of information per se, but rather a result of the way the information is…

Three papers consider various aspects of the AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph Company) court-ordered divestiture. The first paper, "InterLATA Toll Alternatives for the Bell Regional Holding Companies" (Elizabeth A. La Blanc, Ann M. Wolf, and Richard M. Wolf), examines six options available to the RHCs (regional holding…

The specific purposes of this study were to examine (1) age differences in the sophistication of influence strategies children use to affect parents' consumption decisions, and (2) whether or not parents differentially reinforce such strategies according to the child's age. Data were gathered by observing the interactions of 145 parent-child dyads…

A study examined the used goods market as it affects older adults. A set of open-ended questions was administered to 100 respondents over sixty years of age who were either retired or near retirement, married or widowed, and suburban or rural. Interviews were conducted to derermine the effects of the used goods market on the elderly consumer, to…

To determine the consumption benefits of education, this report details a study that explored the cost placed on items or services associated with basic literacy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first section both explains why consumer prices for books, newspapers, and postage are valid indicators of the consumption benefits of…

Arguing that the seller of creative works--including audio and video productions and computer software--will be affected by the ability of consumers to make high quality copies of these works, this paper examines the theoretical effects of copying on the sellers of originals and speculates about ways to estimate these effects empirically. The…

A study examined the effects of media advertising on the elderly to determine whether they use the media to help combat social disengagement, whether they perceived the elderly as positively portrayed in advertising, whether they perceive their role as consumer as declining, whether television advertising reinforced sex roles, and whether the…

The ancient principle of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) is largely dead, but remnants of the rule remain in the privilege to use puffery, a type of subjective opinion claim which is defended by the law on the ground that it does not deceive the public even though it is false. While behavioral evidence suggests that many such claims actually…

Although advertisers and marketers can expect stronger controls in all West European countries, especially by governments, they must be alert to country-by-country differences. Political moves to the left in any country will hasten controls. Consumerism is militant in some countries, practically dormat in others. Although self regulation is strong…

Overview of research techniques involved in gathering information on current products that can provide input into new product development highlights consumer purchase and use patterns. Comparison of mail questionnaires, telephone surveys, focus group sessions, and in-person interviews notes type of data, timing, relative costs, and advantages and…

Cover art has long been used as a marketing device for books, particularly with books aimed at young adults (YAs) aged 12 to 18. An examination of some of the teen thrillers published by novelist Lois Duncan since the 1970s yields several discoveries about changes in cover art that come with various editions. Many covers have been resigned to…

Since nursing home placement is frequently the last choice for families of elderly people who need long-term care, little literature exists which delineates a model for consumer decision making in the selection of a specific long-term care facility. Critical issues include the following: (1) who actually makes the selection; (2) what other…

A decline in the daily reading of newspapers has been observed in the United States since World War II. In the decade from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, most daily newspapers employed market research to document and diagnose trends in readership, to estimate their present and future audiences' composition, and to assess the audiences'…

This paper examines how the new communication technology is challenging the "old" media, which includes radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and motion picture. The paper first provides an operational functional description of each of these media. Next the paper suggests another way to look at existing media. The paper then…