This study examined adults’ perceptions of aggression in toys and toy commercials targeted toward young boys. The subjects, 262 undergraduate psychology students, completed the Buss/Perry Aggression Questionnaire and rated either a videotape of 10 boy-oriented toy commercials or slides of 10 non-advertised boy-toys. Parental status, exposure to an advertised versus non-advertised toy, and level of self-reported aggression were assessed to determine their relationship to perceptions of aggressiveness in a toy’s image and predicted play with the toy.
Univariate analyses of variance and paired sample t-tests were conducted. The results indicate that toys advertised in commercials are judged to portray more aggressive images than non-advertised toys. Additionally, a person’s tolerance of aggression in his or her own life may influence his/her perceptions that aggression is acceptable in certain situations, such a fantasy toy play. Finally, gender stereotyping still appears to be influential in determining appropriate toy play for boys and girls.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study examined adults’ perceptions of aggression in toys and toy commercials targeted toward young boys. The subjects, 262 undergraduate psychology students, completed the Buss/Perry Aggression Questionnaire and rated either a videotape of 10 boy-oriented toy commercials or slides of 10 non-advertised boy-toys. Parental status, exposure to an advertised versus non-advertised toy, and level of self-reported aggression were assessed to determine their relationship to perceptions of aggressiveness in a toy’s image and predicted play with the toy.</p> <p>Univariate analyses of variance and paired sample t-tests were conducted. The results indicate that toys advertised in commercials are judged to portray more aggressive images than non-advertised toys. Additionally, a person’s tolerance of aggression in his or her own life may influence his/her perceptions that aggression is acceptable in certain situations, such a fantasy toy play. Finally, gender stereotyping still appears to be influential in determining appropriate toy play for boys and girls.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Klinger, Lori J."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2000,"date_issued":"2000-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2000-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:18:50Z","subjects":["toy commercials","aggression","advertising to children","Child Psychology","Clinical Psychology","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/23","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Klinger, Lori J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2000-08-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["toy commercials","aggression","advertising to children","Child Psychology","Clinical Psychology","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1059/viewcontent/KLINGERAug.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/23"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study examined adults’ perceptions of aggression in toys and toy commercials targeted toward young boys. The subjects, 262 undergraduate psychology students, completed the Buss/Perry Aggression Questionnaire and rated either a videotape of 10 boy-oriented toy commercials or slides of 10 non-advertised boy-toys. Parental status, exposure to an advertised versus non-advertised toy, and level of self-reported aggression were assessed to determine their relationship to perceptions of aggressiveness in a toy’s image and predicted play with the toy.
Univariate analyses of variance and paired sample t-tests were conducted. The results indicate that toys advertised in commercials are judged to portray more aggressive images than non-advertised toys. Additionally, a person’s tolerance of aggression in his or her own life may influence his/her perceptions that aggression is acceptable in certain situations, such a fantasy toy play. Finally, gender stereotyping still appears to be influential in determining appropriate toy play for boys and girls.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Adult's Perceptions of Children's Aggressive Play with Advertised and Non-Advertised Toys."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Klinger, Lori J."],"dc:date.available":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2000-08-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study examined adults’ perceptions of aggression in toys and toy commercials targeted toward young boys. The subjects, 262 undergraduate psychology students, completed the Buss/Perry Aggression Questionnaire and rated either a videotape of 10 boy-oriented toy commercials or slides of 10 non-advertised boy-toys. Parental status, exposure to an advertised versus non-advertised toy, and level of self-reported aggression were assessed to determine their relationship to perceptions of aggressiveness in a toy’s image and predicted play with the toy.
Univariate analyses of variance and paired sample t-tests were conducted. The results indicate that toys advertised in commercials are judged to portray more aggressive images than non-advertised toys. Additionally, a person’s tolerance of aggression in his or her own life may influence his/her perceptions that aggression is acceptable in certain situations, such a fantasy toy play. Finally, gender stereotyping still appears to be influential in determining appropriate toy play for boys and girls.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1059/viewcontent/KLINGERAug.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/23"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["toy commercials","aggression","advertising to children","Child Psychology","Clinical Psychology","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"dc:title":["Adult's Perceptions of Children's Aggressive Play with Advertised and Non-Advertised Toys."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:18:50Z"}