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Dr. J.F. Gosselt, Jordy

Expertise

·	Organizations and the media

·	Dutch media landscape

·	Media usage and impact

·	Warning labels, media rating systems

·	Adolescents and risky products (availability and consumption of alcohol, tobacco, detrimental media, drugs and gambling products)

·	Communication research methods (e.g., mystery shopping, eyetracking, content analysis).

Research

The potentially negative effects of drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, using illicit drugs, gambling, and exposure to violent or otherwise detrimental movies or games are widely acknowledged. Risks may involve harm to people’s mental or physical health and/or their social well-being. These risks may be especially valid for adolescents. Three general tendencies are relevant in this respect. First, habituation and addiction are important risk factors for the use of most risky products. Consumers may become accustomed to, or even physically or mentally dependent on, such products. Second, research has shown that early use of risky products is a strong predictor of problematic use during adulthood. Third, the consumption of different risky products may be related; the use of one risky product may lead to the use of another. For example alcohol use predicts tobacco use and vice versa, or, according to the ‘gateway theory of drug use’, the use of entry drugs (e.g., alcohol, cigarettes) may eventually result in more severe and illicit drug use (e.g., marijuana, ecstasy, or cocaine).

Societies generally aim to protect children and adolescents from risky products. Availability can be seen as an important predictor of adolescent consumption of risky products. In order to reduce underage sales, in many countries so-called age limits have been introduced. Age limits serve to prevent young people’s access and exposure to risky products and to delay the age at which young people may start consumption. Based on the widespread implementation of age limits (they are used worldwide and for many different risky products), it is reasonable to infer that age limits are highly effective in reducing the availability of these products to minors. However, age limits are influenced by many factors that can potentially diminish their effectiveness. Although governments and healthcare organizations are concerned about the health risks associated with the consumption of these products, industries are driven by profit, and customers may prefer easy access and affordable prices. Whether minors succeed in obtaining age-restricted products depends on both the relevant legislation and the extent to which vendors comply with these age restrictions. Further, within the literature there has been speculation regarding the possible occurrence of an opposite effect. The forbidden fruit theory suggests that age limits may make restricted commodities more attractive.

In his dissertation, entitled ‘Off Limits: The Effectiveness of Age Limits in Reducing Underage Sales’ Jordy Gosselt describes studies that focus on the issue of compliance with age limits and the effects of various interventions that were designed to increase compliance with age limits. Furthermore, the possibility of a forbidden fruit effect was examined. The empirical chapters are divided into three parts: compliance with age limits, increasing compliance with age limits, and whether age limits actually increase risky products’ appeal to young consumers.

Other research interests of Jordy Gosselt include: organizations in/and the media, usage of traditional media, effects of media images on a young audience and the (tainted/forbidden fruit-) effects of warning pictograms and classification systems. Finally, he is interested in studies into the validity and reliability of methods of communication research (such as mysteryshop research, experimental research, content analysis, mystery calls and questionnaires).

Positions & Memberships

Member Ethical Commission faculty of Behavioral Sciences (UT)

Member NesCor

Member International Communication Association

Member of Committee ‘Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap 2011’

Guest editor Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap

Involved in the European alcohol project Amphora (www.amphoraproject.net)

Review activities

Reviewer Mass Communication and Journalism

Reviewer Journal of Adolescent Health

Reviewer Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.

Reviewer Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap

Scientific publications

Accepted

Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., & De Jong, M.D.T. Adolescents and risky products: licensing and supply practices. Encyclopedia of Addictive Behaviors.

2012

Gosselt, J.F., De Jong, M.D.T., & Van Hoof, J.J. (2012). Effects of Media Ratings on Children and Adolescents: A Litmus Test of the Forbidden Fruit Effect. Journal of Communication, 61, 1161-1178. [ISI]

Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., & De Jong, M.D.T. Why should I comply? Sellers’ accounts for (non-)compliance with legal age limits for alcohol sales. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 7 (5), 1-12. [ISI]

Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., & De Jong, M.D.T. Media Rating Systems: Do They Work? Compliance with Age Restrictions on the Shop Floor in the Netherlands. Mass Communication and Society, 15 (3). [ISI]

2011

Gosselt, J.F. (2011). Off Limits: The Effectiveness of Age Limits in Reducing Underage Sales. Enschede, the Netherlands: University of Twente. [PhD dissertation][Pdf version]

Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., Baas, N., & De Jong, M.D.T. (2011). Under 20? Show your ID! Effects of a national information campaign on compliance with age restrictions for alcohol sales. Journal of Adolescent Health, 49, 97-98. [ISI]

Van Hoof, J.J., Gosselt, J.F., Baas, N., & De Jong, M.D.T. (2011). Improving Shop Floor Compliance with Age Restrictions for Alcohol Sales: Effectiveness of a Feedback Letter Intervention. European Journal of Public Health, 1-6. [ISI]

Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., Goverde, M., & De Jong, M.D.T. (2011). One More Beer? Serving Alcohol to Pseudo Intoxicated Guests in Bars. (working paper).

2010

Hellman, M., Gosselt, J.F., Pietruszka, M., Rolando, S., Rossetti, S., & Wothge, J. (2010). Interpretations of individualistic and collectivistic drinking messages in beer commercials by teenagers from five European countries. Cross-Cultural Communication, 6 (4), 01-09. [ISI]

Van Hoof, J.J., Gosselt, J.F., & De Jong, M.D.T. (2010). Shop floor compliance with age restrictions for tobacco sales: Remote versus in-store age verification. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46 (2), 197-199. [ISI]

Dorbeck-Jung, B.R., Oude Vrielink, M.J., Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., & De Jong, M.D.T. (2010). Contested hybridization of regulation: Failure of the Dutch regulatory system to protect minors from harmful media. Regulation & Governance, 4, 154–174. [ISI]

Van Hoof, J.J., Gosselt, J.F., & De Jong, M.D.T. (2010). Parent’s Opinions on Youth Alcohol Use and Governmental Alcohol Control Policies. Health Policy, 97 (2), 195-201. [ISI]

2009

Van Hoof, J.J., De Jong, M.D.T., Fennis, B.M., & Gosselt, J.F. (2009). There’s alcohol in my soap: Portrayal and effects of alcohol use in a popular television series. Health Education Research, 24 (3), 421-429. [ISI]

2008

De Jong, M.D.T., Van Hoof, J.J., & Gosselt, J.F. (2008). Voters’ Perceptions of Voting Technology: Paper Ballots versus Voting Machine with and without Paper Audit Trail. Social Science Computer Review, 26 (4), 399-410. [ISI]

2007

Gosselt, J.F., Van Hoof, J.J., De Jong, M.D.T., & Prinsen, S. (2007). Mystery shopping and alcohol sales: do supermarkets and liquor stores sell alcohol to underage customers? Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(3), 302-308. [ISI]

De Jong, M.D.T., Van Hoof, J.J., & Gosselt, J.F. (2007). User Research of a Voting Machine: Preliminary Findings and Experiences. Journal of Usability Studies, 2 (4), 180-189.

Specialist publications

Jordy Gosselt, Marcel Pieterse & Joris van Hoof (2010). Happy Fris?! Twentse Ouders en hun Kinderen over Alcoholgebruik. Enschede, IBR: Universiteit Twente.

Jordy Gosselt, Joris van Hoof en Menno de Jong (2009). Bekijk het maar? Negeren Kijkwijzer-code kinderspel. Secondant, 5, 42-45.

Mirjan Oude Vrielink, Bärbel Dorbeck-Jung, Jordy Gosselt, Menno de Jong & Joris van Hoof (2009). Politieke en publieke verantwoording in een stelsel van co-regulering. In: Verbonden Verantwoordelijkheden.

Jordy Gosselt, Joris van Hoof, Menno de Jong, Bärbel Dorbeck-Jung & Michaël Steehouder (2008). Horen, zien en verkrijgen? Een onderzoek naar het functioneren van Kijkwijzer en PEGI (Pan European Game Information) ter bescherming van jongeren tegen schadelijke mediabeelden. Universiteit Twente/WODC Onderzoek & Beleid. Den Haag: Boom Juridische uitgevers.

Jordy Gosselt, Joris van Hoof & Menno de Jong (2007). Alcohol en jongeren in Zuidoost-Brabant. Nulmeting nalevingsonderzoek en draagvlakonderzoek. Enschede: Aspectenreeks Universiteit Twente.

Sander Prinsen, Jordy Gosselt, Joris van Hoof & Menno de Jong (2006). De mystery shopper bespioneerd. Een onderzoek naar de waarde van mystery shopping. Tijdschrift voor Marketing, 11, 4-5.