Paul W. Miniard

Picture-based Persuasion Processes and the Moderating Role of Involvement

Although pictures have been shown to enhance the impact of persuasive communications, little is known about the robustness of such effects. This study examines how involvement moderates the process by which pictures affect brand attitudes and purchase intentions. The results show that involvements moderating role depends on whether pictures convey product-relevant information. Whereas the impact of affect-laden pictures devoid of product-relevant information declines as involvement increases, involvement exerts the opposite effect for product-relevant pictures. The results also demonstrate that the images evoked by pictures and thoughts about a pictures appropriateness play an important mediating role in the persuasion process underlying peripheral pictures. Coauthors are Sunil Bhatla, Kenneth R. Lord, Peter R. Dickson, and H. Rao Unnava. Copyright 1991 by the University of Chicago.

The Influence of Positive Mood on Brand Extension Evaluations

The current research examines how positive mood influences consumer evaluations of brand extensions. As a means of addressing this issue, we integrate findings from prior research on brand extensions with those concerning the effect of mood on similarity and evaluative judgments. Our results indicate that positive mood primarily enhances evaluations of extensions viewed as moderately similar (as opposed to very similar or dissimilar) to a favorably evaluated core brand. This pattern of effects prevailed in separate studies using two different types of mood manipulations. The evidence supports a mood process in which the influence of positive mood on extension evaluations is mediated by its effects on perceptions of the similarity between the core brand and the extension as well as the perceived competency of the marketer in producing the extension. Implications of these findings for marketing managers are presented along with suggestions for further research. Copyright 2000 by the University of Chicago.

Modeling Personal and Normative Influences on Behavior

The Fishbein behavioral intention model combines all beliefs about the consequences of an act into a single attitude component. We propose a new model that separates personal and nonnative reasons for engaging in behavior. Two studies permitted multiple tests of the models validity. The results support the models potential for distinguishing between personal and normative motivations underlying behavior and illustrate the value of such distinctions for understanding behavior. P ersonal attitudes and social influences have long been recognized as playing important roles in consumer decision making. Research examining these two determinants of choice has focused largely on one (e.g., attitude-behavior relationships) to the exclusion of the other (e.g., referent influence, social power). Consequently, little work has been done concerning the relative role each plays in decision making. Identifying the relative importance of each for a given action (e.g., adolescent smoking behavior, adoption of innovations) should be a useful step toward understanding why the behavior occurs and in considering the likely effects of alternative behavior change strategies. A pioneering cognitive approach to integrating these two determinants of choice into a single conceptual framework is the Fishbein behavioral intention model (Ajzen and Fishbein 1980; Fishbein and Ajzen 1975). Within this model, all beliefs about the consequences of behavioral performance (and their associated affect) are combined into an attitude component, whether they pertain to the deepest personal conviction or to the rewards of expedient compliance. Beliefs about referent expectations (whether the referent thinks s/he should or should not engage in the behavior) are treated separately (combined into the normative component) and are considered to reflect social influences with respect to the behavior under study. Thus the Fishbein model does not seek to separate personal from normative

Peripheral Persuasion and Brand Choice

Although the impact of peripheral advertising cues on postcommunication attitudes has received considerable attention in the research literature, less consideration has been given to whether such persuasion affects behavior. This research examines the potential for peripheral persuasion to influence brand choice as a function of the degree of differentiation among choice alternatives. The results from three experiments show that peripheral advertising cues can affect brand choice but that the extent of this influence depends on the particular brand-relevant information available at the time of choice. These findings substantiate the usefulness of peripheral persuasion tactics for modifying consumer choice. Copyright 1992 by the University of Chicago.

Understanding the Mental Representations Created by Comparative Advertising

Abstract Despite theories suggesting that the cognitive impact of comparative advertisements differs from that of noncomparative ads, little progress has been made toward empirically understanding the types of mental representations engendered by these forms of advertising. The current research provides evidence pertinent to this issue across three experiments. As anticipated, comparative ads are more likely to cause mental impressions about the advertised brand relative to competitors than are noncomparative ads. The results also indicate that differentiative comparative ads generate disassociative rather than the associative mental impressions previously thought to characterize the processing of such ads. In addition, the findings demonstrate that both relative and nonrelative impressions may be formed following exposure to comparative ads. Implications are drawn for interpreting the findings of prior investigations, as well as for undertaking future research on comparative advertising.

A Further Examination of Two Laboratory Tests of the Extended Fishbein Attitude Model

In the most recently published validation test of the Extended Fishbein Model of consumer attitudes (Lutz 1977), a unique and interesting experimental approach was used to successfully generate a number of attitudinal constructs. The major conclusion was that the postulated causal flow of effects was reasonably supported. While the attempt to validate this particular attitude model using a process approach is to be applauded, this comment questions whether, on the basis of the analysis reported, the conclusion was warranted. Additional analysis and interpretation does not support the Extended Fishbein Model as operationalized in these experiments. The normative component is redundant and the measure of attitude appears to be misspecified. Alternatively, the results are spurious because of research design problems. The general implication is that marketers and behaviorists should be very cautious in their use of the Extended Fishbein Model in attitude change situations. Future research needs to confront a number of serious theoretical problems and measurement issues not addressed in these experiments.

Retailers' Use of Partially Comparative Pricing: From Across- Category to Within-Category Effects

Prior research suggests that partially comparative pricing—in which a retailer provides price comparisons for some, but not all, of its products—is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, such pricing improves beliefs about the retailers competitive price advantage on comparatively priced products for which its prices are compared with a competitor. On the other hand, it has been shown to damage perceptions of the retailers noncomparatively priced products relative to those charged by the competition. However, this latter outcome is based on evidence examining the influence of partially comparative pricing across different product categories. The authors propose and demonstrate in five studies that price comparisons may actually improve relative price beliefs about the noncomparatively priced brands within the same product category. They further show this improvement to be attenuated as the number of price comparisons increase or when the price comparison is attached to a brand perceived as less typical of the product category. The authors conclude by drawing managerial implications and offer suggestions for further research.