Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective

Abstract Consumers are exposed to large amounts of advertising every day. One way to avoid being manipulated is to monitor the sources of persuasive messages. In the present study it was tested whether high exposure to advertising affects the memory and guessing processes underlying source attributi...

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Main Authors: Raoul Bell, Laura Mieth, Axel Buchner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2022-09-01
Series:Cognitive Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00433-2
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author Raoul Bell
Laura Mieth
Axel Buchner
author_facet Raoul Bell
Laura Mieth
Axel Buchner
author_sort Raoul Bell
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Consumers are exposed to large amounts of advertising every day. One way to avoid being manipulated is to monitor the sources of persuasive messages. In the present study it was tested whether high exposure to advertising affects the memory and guessing processes underlying source attributions. Participants were exposed to high or low proportions of advertising messages that were intermixed with product statements from a trustworthy source. In a subsequent memory test, participants had to remember the sources of these statements. In Experiments 1 and 2, high advertising exposure led to increased source memory and decreased recognition of the statements in comparison to low advertising exposure. High advertising exposure also induced an increased tendency toward guessing that statements whose sources were not remembered came from advertising. The results of Experiment 3 suggest that the presence of advertising, relative to its absence, leads to a skeptical guessing bias. Being exposed to advertising thus has pronounced effects on the memory and guessing processes underlying source attributions. These changes in source monitoring can be interpreted as coping mechanisms that serve to protect against the persuasive influence of advertising messages.
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spelling doaj.art-32e37942c4424d238ec505e2a3fb29d82022-12-22T03:13:00ZengSpringerOpenCognitive Research2365-74642022-09-017111910.1186/s41235-022-00433-2Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspectiveRaoul Bell0Laura Mieth1Axel Buchner2Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University DüsseldorfDepartment of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University DüsseldorfAbstract Consumers are exposed to large amounts of advertising every day. One way to avoid being manipulated is to monitor the sources of persuasive messages. In the present study it was tested whether high exposure to advertising affects the memory and guessing processes underlying source attributions. Participants were exposed to high or low proportions of advertising messages that were intermixed with product statements from a trustworthy source. In a subsequent memory test, participants had to remember the sources of these statements. In Experiments 1 and 2, high advertising exposure led to increased source memory and decreased recognition of the statements in comparison to low advertising exposure. High advertising exposure also induced an increased tendency toward guessing that statements whose sources were not remembered came from advertising. The results of Experiment 3 suggest that the presence of advertising, relative to its absence, leads to a skeptical guessing bias. Being exposed to advertising thus has pronounced effects on the memory and guessing processes underlying source attributions. These changes in source monitoring can be interpreted as coping mechanisms that serve to protect against the persuasive influence of advertising messages.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00433-2Source memorySource-monitoring frameworkAdvertising exposureConsumer skepticismSource credibility
spellingShingle Raoul Bell
Laura Mieth
Axel Buchner
Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective
Cognitive Research
Source memory
Source-monitoring framework
Advertising exposure
Consumer skepticism
Source credibility
title Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective
title_full Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective
title_fullStr Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective
title_full_unstemmed Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective
title_short Coping with high advertising exposure: a source-monitoring perspective
title_sort coping with high advertising exposure a source monitoring perspective
topic Source memory
Source-monitoring framework
Advertising exposure
Consumer skepticism
Source credibility
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00433-2
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