Investigating the truth effect in young and elderly consumers, the role of recognition and source memory

grantor: University of TorontoRepetition of advertising claims increases belief in those claims, this phenomenon, called the 'truth effect', is mediated by consumers' memory for the claims. Since memory is not a unitary phenomenon, memory for the item (i.e. the advertising claim) and memory for the source of the item (i.e. where the claim was encountered) may have a differential impact on the truth effect. This may be of particular importance as older adults often show memory deficits compared to younger adults, and may even be particularly poor in remembering source information. Fortunately, it is possible to minimize these memory deficits through cognitive support. Therefore, the questions addressed in this dissertation are: Do declines in memory make the elderly more vulnerable to the truth effect? Are there conditions under which age-related differences in the truth effect can be abolished? Experiment 1 assessed the level of memory impairment in the elderly as compared to the young, and its influence on the truth effect. The elderly were mom susceptible to the truth effect and this effect was mediated via their higher false-alarm rates and poorer source memory. Experiment 2 demonstrated that if one used imagery instructions at encoding, a form of cognitive support that ameliorates elderly item memory and source memory deficits, then the truth effect differences between the young and the elderly disappear. Taken together, these experiments showed that the elderly are more susceptible to truth effect due to poorer memory, and if their memory is enhanced using cognitive support, their susceptibilty to the truth effect can be overcome. Experiment 3 was designed to investigate the impact of source credibility on the truth rating of an item. While earlier research had suggested that source credibility influences truth ratings, it was not clear when the credible source exerts its influence--is it when one is exposed to an advertising claim (at encoding), or, when it is subsequently remembered (at retrieval), or, at both times? Experiment 3 showed that while the credibility of source at encoding as well as the source remembered at retrieval influenced truth ratings of a claim, the source at retrieval influenced truth ratings the most.Ph.D

Role of Relationship Norms in Processing Brand Information

In the present research, we propose relationship norms as a moderator of the specific information-processing strategy adopted by consumers when evaluating a brand. Two types of relationships are examined: communal relationships, in which concern for a partner's need is paramount, and exchange relationships, in which a matched benefit is expected back from the partner. Across three studies, we test the hypothesis that norms of a communal relationship lead to brand attributes being evaluated at a higher level of abstraction relative to those of an exchange relationship. Dependent variables ranging from product evaluations, memory measures, and feature listings provide converging evidence to support the overall hypothesis. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

The Effects of Brand Relationship Norms on Consumer Attitudes and Behavior

Branding and brand-based differentiation are powerful means for creating and sustaining competitive advantage. Prior research has examined differences in how consumers perceive and evaluate brands, for example, through investigating brand equity (Keller 1993; McQueen, Foley, and Deighton 1993), brand personality (Aaker 1997; Plummer 1985) and brand extensions (Aaker and Keller 1990

Tiptoe or tackle? The role of product placement prominence and program involvement for the mere exposure effect

Based on the mere exposure effect (Zajonc 1968), the mere unreinforced presentation of product placements can increase brand liking. In an experiment, we manipulated visual placement prominence and placement frequency for an externally and internally valid stimulus. As results indicate, a mere exposure effect can only be observed for frequently presented subtle placements that are embedded in a program that is watched with moderate or high involvement. No such effects could be observed for prominent placements. The results are discussed in their importance for placement effects research and marketing practice