Jacqueline Hitchon

Effects of ambiguity and complexity on consumer response to music video commercials

This study examines the impact of ambiguity and complexity on the effectiveness of music video ads, two factors identified in the film and communication literatures as important dimensions in music video and film production. Target and filler commercials were embedded in programming in an experiment that varied ambiguity and complexity across ads for six products. Findings indicate a main effect of ambiguity on persuasion, with low levels of ambiguity producing significantly more favorable attitudes toward the brand and toward the ad. On the other hand, results for complexity were mixed.

If College Students Are Appointment Television Viewers ...

Whether television viewers are selective or passive has generally drawn its findings from two non-overlapping research traditions. Research showing little audience selectivity in aggregite audiences may stem from how the aggregate is defined-an idea pursued here with an examination ofcollege student viewing. Results from a week of viewing show evidence of both structural and individual determination of selection. These results suggest additional qualifications on use of student samples for communication research.

The effects of brand familiarity in alignment advertising

This study addresses the issues of managerial concern for both nonprofit organizations and profit-oriented organizations by comparing public service advertising, alignment advertising, and traditional brand advertising as marketing communication tools. Previous findings regarding affective and conative advantages of alignment advertising over brand advertising were replicated and further expanded. At the same time, the investigation revealed that alignment advertising is not necessarily at a disadvantage to brand advertising in terms of brand recall.

What Holds Attention to Television? Strategic Inertia of Looks at Content Boundaries

Looks at television that cross content boundaries (both between and within programming) provide an opportunity to examine the causes of attentional inertia—that looks at television become very much more stable after the first few seconds. Previous research left unresolved whether this inertia is due to expectations or biologic processes (strategic vs. nonstrategic processes), and this study allows direct comparisons. The strength of the inertial relationship varied considerably for different kinds of program boundaries, and also for within-program boundaries, with the latter varying as well by the genre in which they were contained. Taken together, the results provided no evidence for nonstrategic, biological processes causing attentional inertia. Instead, several genre-specific explanations based on expectations and cognitive demands are proposed.