Brian Sternthal

Gender Differences in the Use of Message Cues and Judgments

Data from two experiments suggest that the genders differ in how they make judgments. In comparison with men, women appeared to have a lower threshold for elaborating on message cues and thus made ...

The Persuasive Effect of Source Credibility: Tests of Cognitive Response

Two experiments are reported identifying the circumstances in which high credibility either facilitates, inhibits, or has no effect on the communicators persuasiveness in relation to a less credible source. These data provide support for the cognitive response view of information processing and suggest the importance of message recipients initial opinion as a determinant of persuasion.

The Persuasive Effect of Source Credibility: A Situational Analysis.

The interactive effects of source credibility and other variables which affect the communication process are reviewed, and the extent to which these data are ordered by cognitive response and attribution theories is examined. On the basis of this review (1) situations where a credible source facilities, inhibits, and has no systematic persuasive effect are identified; (2) the explanatory power of cognitive response and attribution theory is demonstrated; and (3) a common language linking these theoretical formulations is advanced, providing a framework for investigating the persuasive mass communication process.

Ease of Message Processing as a Moderator of Repetition Effects in Advertising

The study suggests that the effect of repeated advertising exposures on brand evaluations is moderated by the ease with which the advertising message is processed. Increasing exposures enhanced the...

Value from Regulatory Construal Fit: The Persuasive Impact of Fit between Consumer Goals and Message Concreteness

This research investigates the relationship between regulatory focus and construal level. The findings indicate that promotion-focused individuals are more likely to construe information at abstract, high levels, whereas those with a prevention focus are more likely to construe information at concrete, low levels (experiments 1 and 2). Further, such fit (vs. nonfit) between an individuals regulatory focus and the construal level at which information is represented leads to more favorable attitudes (experiments 3 and 4) and enhances performance on a subsequent task (experiment 3). These outcomes occur because fit enhances engagement that in turn induces processing fluency and intensifies reactions. (c) 2009 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Examining the Vividness Controversy: An Availability-Valence Interpretation

The effect of vividness on attitudinal judgments is a controversial issue. Experimental evidence indicates that vividness often has no effect on attitudinal judgments; however, there is also evidence that vividness can enhance or undermine the favorableness of attitudinal judgments. In this article, the authors introduce the availability-valence hypothesis to predict and explain the effects of vividness and to account for the frequent observation of a null effect.

Television Commercial Wearout: An Information Processing View

Repetition of a pattern of television commercials caused wearout in viewers’ evaluation of the commercials and the products being advertised. As predicted by an information processing view, wearout...

The moderating effect of knowledge and resources on the persuasive impact of analogies

Four experiments were conducted to examine the persuasive impact of new product appeals containing an analogy. An analogy highlights the similarity in the benefits offered by a familiar base product and an unfamiliar target product. This device is found to be persuasive when (a) message recipients have the ability to map attribute relations from some base category to understand the benefits of a target product, and (b) they allocate the substantial resources needed to complete this mapping. In the absence of either of these conditions, the persuasive impact of an analogy is more limited. A variety of devices, including expertise with the base product, training in how to process base information, and a positive mood, are shown to improve the comprehension of an analogy and to enhance its persuasiveness. Copyright 2001 by the University of Chicago.

Fear Appeals: Revisited and Revised

This article provides a review and analysis of fear appeals, examines their effect on consumer behavior, and discusses methodological considerations in fear research. Emphasis is given to identifying gaps in our knowledge and understanding of how fear appeals work.

The Effect of Type of Elaboration on Advertisement Processing and Judgment

The authors examine the effect of type of elaboration on information processing and product judgments. Research participants were shown print advertisements promoting a camera in which the pictoria...