Judith Danovitch, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Louisville, is the co-author of a psychological study that shows the power behind using cartoon characters are to sell everything from backpacks to toys during the holiday shopping season.

The study, published in the December 2014 Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, show that children chose low-quality items – including toys that were dirty, broken or missing parts -- decorated with a familiar character’s image over brand-new, high-quality ones that lacked a character image up to 74 percent of the time.

She is available for comment to local and national media and an interview on the subject can be viewed by clicking here.

To set up an interview, contact Danovitch at j.danovitch@louisville.edu. If she is not reachable, contact Judy Hughes at (502) 852-6171 or judy.hughes@louisville.edu