Influences on the Illusory Truth Effect in Consumer Judgment

The Illusory Truth Effect: Exploring Implicit and Explicit Memory Influences on Consumer JudgmentsMaria L. CronleyMiami UniversityFrank R. KardesUniversity of CincinnatiScott A. HawkinsUniversity of TorontoRepetition does not seem like a sound basis for determining truth, but researchers have consistently found that people rate repeated statements as more true than non-repeated statements. This effect is known as the illusory truth effect and appears to be quite persistent. Following on previous work in memory and judgment, additional moderators of attention, exclusion, and subliminal exposure are investigated in two experiments to assess their effects on repetition-induced beliefs of validity for product claims. Results provide new insights into the processes of incidental learning and implicit memory use by which consumers form judgments based on repetitive persuasive messages

Then and now: Examining how consumer communication and attitudes of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising have changed in the last decade

This study examines changes over a 10-year period in consumer reports of communication with health care providers about direct-to-consumer advertised (DTCA) medications. Two rounds of survey data were collected in 2003 and 2012 using repeated cross-sectional procedures to examine consumer willingness to discuss DTCA medications, content and tone of those conversations, and attitudes about the advertisements. In total, 472 surveys were analyzed. Generally, we found physician “patient conversations, attitudes, and behaviors regarding DTCA have changed. Consumers in 2012 reported talking significantly less about the names of the advertised drug, comparing the advertised drug with their current medication, and sharing general information than consumers in 2003. Attitudes toward the advertisements were significantly more negative in 2012 compared to 2003. Of those who specifically asked for a prescription, the proportion of patients who received the prescription was significantly lower in 2012, despite research suggesting increased rates of prescriptions. These results are interpreted in light of previous research about the lack of research examining the actual communication between physicians and patients on this topic. Limitations of the study are provided along with directions for future research about DTCA and physician “patient communication

Consumer behavior: Science and practice

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The Effect of Message Credibility, Need for Cognitive Closure, and Information Sufficiency on Thought-Induced Attitude Change

Self-generated thought has been shown to have a significant impact on attitude change. Merely thinking about an attitude can result in more extreme attitudes. Although research in this area has investigated several moderating factors, most of the research looks at constraints that attenuate but do not reverse the effect (depolarization). The current research investigates source effects as a depolarizing variable while testing two additional moderating variables. The results provide important new insights into self-generated persuasion. Source effects can result in polarizing effects if the source is credible but depolarizing effects if the source is less credible (experiment 1). Further, thought-induced attitude change depends on varying levels of need for cognitive closure (experiment 2 and experiment 3) and information sufficiency (experiment 3)

The Effect of Message Credibility, Need For Cognitive Closure, and Information Sufficiency on Thought-Induced Attitude Change

This research provides important new insight into self-generated persuasion. Source effects can result in polarizing effects if the source is credible but depolarizing effects if the source is less credible. Further, thought-induced attitude change depends on varying levels of Need for Cognitive Closure and information sufficiency