Introduction

This is the first book designed to assist behavioral scientists in the preparation of scholarly or applied research regarding deceptive advertising which will ultimately affect public policy in this area. Because there was an inadequate foundation upon which to build a program of research for this topic, a three-part solution has been devised:

• 1) a review of how deception is viewed and regulated
• 2) a theory of how consumers process deceptive information
• 3) a sensitive and consistent means of measuring deceptiveness

This text provides detailed discussions regarding the intersection of law and behavioral science and its application to deceptive advertising. In so doing, it offers a solid foundation upon which to base expanded behavioral research into how consumers are deceived by advertising claims, and what cognitive processes are involved in that deception.