TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Aging and the Questionable Validity of Recognition-Based Exposure Measurement
JO  - Communication research
A1  - Southwell, Brian G.
A1  - Gilkerson, Nathan D.
A1  - Depue, Jacob B.
A1  - Shelton, Ashleigh K.
A1  - Friedenberg, Laura M.
A1  - Koutstaal, Wilma
SP  - 603
EP  - 619
VL  - 37
IS  - 5
N2  - Growing evidence suggests that basic exposure measures, such as recognition-based items, might not operate identically among older and younger adults. We present two studies relevant to this debate. Study 1 provides experimental confirmation of the recognition decline hypothesis, finding an interaction between age and exposure in predicting recognition memory for an advertisement related to global warming. Study 2 assesses television news project evaluation data to explore whether verbatim detail recognition difficulty explains Study 1 results. The two studies provide complementary evidence, not only illustrating recognition decline among the elderly but also providing careful control of exposure in Study 1 and the use of multiple messages, realistic viewing scenarios, and free recall data in Study 2. Taken together, the studies offer a cautionary tale for campaign evaluators. On a broader theoretical level, the results suggest a fruitful path for communication research focused on the nuanced and potentially critical moderating role of age.<p />
LA  - 
SN  - 0093-6502
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093650209356442
ID  - ref1
ER  -