Exploring Parental Response to Age-Related Warnings

Forty parents participated in structured interviews that explored parental responses to a warning that proscribed the use of an adult atv by children under age 16. Two such labels were evaluated in a between-subjects design—one with and one without the following statement: “Even youth with atv experience have immature judgment and should never drive an adult atv.” Several dependent measures were considered in relation to these warnings, including parents' understanding of the label, likelihood of considering the label, and comfort with not complying with the label. Interview results showed no effect of the message on any of these measures. There was significant correlation between the age of the child in question and parents' reported responses to the labels. Focus groups indicated a negative affective reaction to the added message with some parents noting that the message was offensive, unnecessary, and/or that it lacked credibility. Parents also noted variability in maturity levels among youth of a give...