ABSTRACT
Much of the existing literature on child-directed marketing was conducted in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was fueled by the FTC's proposal to ban television advertising aimed at young children. Theory of mind refers to the ability to mentally represent others' mental states, including their beliefs, knowledge, memory, and imagination. This chapter examines individual differences in theory of mind and executive functioning as correlates of consumer socialization outcomes among preschool children. Consistent with the conclusions regarding the role of theory of mind in the consumer socialization of young children, it appears that executive functioning is another area of development that acts as a catalyst to children's abilities to process information in commercial contexts. Just as toy premiums can influence food choice, so too can the beverages that are present during food consumption. Future studies will move beyond learning about the effects of existing industry practices to examine new ways of communicating with children.
