Author: Biz Mech

Author(s): Gerd Bohner, Nina Dickel Source: Annual Review Psychology Date: 2011 If you’ve ever found yourself inexplicably drawn to a particular brand or product, you may have experienced the effects of evaluative conditioning.  What is Evaluative Conditioning? Evaluative conditioning is the process by which we form attitudes towards a stimulus based on the pairing of the stimulus with positive or negative experiences. For example, if you have had a positive experience with a particular brand of cereal, you may form a positive attitude towards that brand. Conversely, if you have had a negative experience with a particular product, you may…

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Laroche, Toffoli, Zhang, and Pons, conducted a survey of 460 Chinese and 510 Canadian respondents to test the persuasive effects of cigarette ads that used fear appeal messages. The study examines the potential impact of these messages on consumers’ attitudes toward smoking and their intention to quit. The authors found that fear appeal messages in cigarette ads were more persuasive in China than in Canada. The Chinese participants were more likely to perceive smoking as a severe threat to their health and were more motivated to quit smoking after seeing these types of ads. In contrast, Canadian participants were less…

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Staats, Staats, and K’s (1958) study on “Attitudes Established by Classic Conditioning” explored the extent to which attitudes can be developed through classical conditioning, which is a form of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a response that naturally elicits an emotional or physiological reaction. In this study, the researchers conditioned a group of participants to associate a neutral stimulus (a novel object) with a positive or negative affective response by repeatedly pairing the object with either a pleasant or unpleasant event. The results of the study demonstrated that classical conditioning can indeed be used to establish…

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Mourali and Yang’s paper highlights the dual role of power in resisting social influence. While power can provide individuals with the resources and confidence needed to resist social influence, it can also lead to overconfidence and a belief that one is immune to the influence of others. By understanding these competing effects of power, individuals and organizations can better navigate social influence dynamics and promote a culture of independent thinking and critical inquiry.

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Weinberger’s article highlights the potential relevance of the sleeper effect for advertising and suggests that more research is needed to better understand its impact in this context. While the sleeper effect may not be a panacea for advertisers, it does offer some interesting insights into how consumers process and respond to advertising messages.

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