Child color preferences

the light works
Demi-God

Posts: 38,320

Child color preferences Aug 13, 2015 14:23:25 GMT

Quote

Post by the light works on Aug 13, 2015 14:23:25 GMT

Aug 13, 2015 6:36:08 GMT silverdragon said:

Packaging with images is a good thing. If you're the manufacturer...

Ever notice how, especially for action toys aimed at boys, the packaging is much more dramatic looking than the toy itself can ever be? Yeah, I have first hand experience that kids (my own and myself and my friends when I was a kid) will fall madly in love with the concept shown on the package and be miserably disappointed by what's inside.

Kids are more trusting than adults. They haven't learned the "your results may vary" sentence yet. They expect what they see to be what they get, so they are HIGHLY affected by packaging. At least before age 10. Toy manufacturers know this. That's how millions upon millions of "X-ray glasses" have been sold by mail order through magazines over the years.

At what age does it make the difference?...
I was thinking the younger pre-school toddler for whats in the box more than pre-teen?....
Yes as kids get older.....
But then again, look at what has been suggested by the Lego "friends".
If you look at the packaging it suggests way more than you actually get.
Most of them show packaging with a group of "dolls", except you only get one, then show exotic backdrops for the toys, nit in the box, then suggest "ways to play", that you only do once.

I was concerning the idea of testing the bright colours on the very young, that I kind of got the idea that this was all about, how we perceive younger kids to think rather than what we know, because we cant exactly ask they very young who may only just have language skills, (under 4 yrs old) and are more concerned with do tigers use a knife and fork than answering your questions.

except when the preschool toddler ignores the toy and plays with the box.

the light works
Demi-God

Posts: 38,320

Child color preferences Aug 13, 2015 14:26:53 GMT

Quote

Post by the light works on Aug 13, 2015 14:26:53 GMT

Aug 13, 2015 7:55:40 GMT silverdragon said:

Getting a quick thread recap, the proposal is for different age kids to be tested.

So, how young can you start.
And can you get kids where mummies likkle snowflake is allowed to play without parental interference.
Nothing could be worse for the test than a young kid getting "oh no you cant play with that one its for Boys" from over-protective mum (Or Dad...) (Although more probably Mum, as most Dads would be more open minded?..)

Then how do you challenge pre-conceived bias.
If likkle madam throws a wobbly because her Pink section has Mechanic toys in it.
Or Sir-Tantrum gets all bovered because his blue section has Barbie.....

Is that kind of failure a result?.
Can you get good data from them if you are allowed to ask why they are bothered by that?..
I suspect yes, it has to be relevant, if the kid feels threatened by having cross-gender toys in the "expected" section, this is what the test is concerned with in the first place.

Older generation pre-teens, I think todays kids are more intelligent than we may suspect.
I have an idea that if my own kids were used, when they were that age, and found a Barbie toy in what they thought was supposed to be a Boys section, they would point it out and have a laugh at either "Your trying to trick us here" or "Someone put that in the wrong place didnt they"?..
And as for the question Pink Girls Boys Blue, their answer would probably be, thats what they have grown up with, and thats what they expect, so Toy shops can "signpost" gender specific toys at the target audience right from the go.
If you want Boys toys, you go to the Blue isles.
If you want Girls, you got to the Pink.
The green and yellow or other colour section in the middle are for toys for anyone....
Thats how it has always been in their life.

If you completely swapped the gender specific toys from one to the other, they would ask why it has been done that way.

Young kids?... I suppose we teach them to be colour prejudice.
I dont believe it comes naturally.
I firmly believe that the pink fluffy mummies demand their girls follow suit and the boys stick to blue as a rebellion against the pink fluffyness that is a sister who's main job in their life is to scweem and scweem and scweem until they get their own way and basically attempt to steal their brothers thunder in every way they can.
Most girls MUST be the centre of attention at all times.
Only those from larger families with older sisters have learnt to share properly.
Growing up, they may learn to be more caring about others.

Newborn infants.... perhaps not, but the pre-walking talking kids, you can do some basic non invasive observational investigations?...
One you are sure that the child can track with their eyes, one way would be to use an eye tracking camera, to watch what the kid looks at.
Lay the kid in a cot, pass various coloured shapes over the cot, and see what they infants eyes are attracted to most?....

put mummy and daddy behind glass, and then what they say becomes data points.

but yes, I agree that one strong factor will be "I went to the blue because I wanted Legos and in my toy store at home they are in the blue section"

The Urban Mythbuster
Evil Senior Member with far too much time on their hands.

"Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do."

Posts: 12,374

Child color preferences Aug 13, 2015 15:08:20 GMT

Quote

Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Aug 13, 2015 15:08:20 GMT

Aug 13, 2015 14:26:53 GMT the light works said:

put mummy and daddy behind glass, and then what they say becomes data points.

but yes, I agree that one strong factor will be "I went to the blue because I wanted Legos and in my toy store at home they are in the blue section"

Mummy and daddy stand behind a two-way mirror in a sound-proof room. Absolutely track any biased comments they may make while Tommy or Sally is picking a toy.

Post-decision question:
Why did you choose that toy?
a) The color of the aisle
b) The color of the toy
c) It is a toy I like
d) It is a new toy I haven't seen before

Allow multiple responses or provide additional responses:
e) Combination of a & c
f) Combination of a & d
g) Combination of b & c
h) Combination of b & d
i) Combination of a, b & c
j) Combination of a, b & d

If you can't stupify them with amazement, you could always amaze them with stupidity.[br]Insanity speaks to itself, genius thinks out loud.

The Urban Mythbuster
Evil Senior Member with far too much time on their hands.

"Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do."

Posts: 12,374

Child color preferences Aug 13, 2015 15:09:08 GMT

Quote

Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Aug 13, 2015 15:09:08 GMT

Aug 13, 2015 14:23:25 GMT the light works said:

Aug 13, 2015 6:36:08 GMT silverdragon said:

At what age does it make the difference?...
I was thinking the younger pre-school toddler for whats in the box more than pre-teen?....
Yes as kids get older.....
But then again, look at what has been suggested by the Lego "friends".
If you look at the packaging it suggests way more than you actually get.
Most of them show packaging with a group of "dolls", except you only get one, then show exotic backdrops for the toys, nit in the box, then suggest "ways to play", that you only do once.

I was concerning the idea of testing the bright colours on the very young, that I kind of got the idea that this was all about, how we perceive younger kids to think rather than what we know, because we cant exactly ask they very young who may only just have language skills, (under 4 yrs old) and are more concerned with do tigers use a knife and fork than answering your questions.

except when the preschool toddler ignores the toy and plays with the box.

Depending on the age, some kids enjoy the wrapping paper and bow that the box is inside of...

If you can't stupify them with amazement, you could always amaze them with stupidity.[br]Insanity speaks to itself, genius thinks out loud.