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How persuasive messages can influence behavior without awareness
Author(s) -
Russo J. Edward,
Chaxel AnneSophie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1016/j.jcps.2010.06.005
Subject(s) - preference , product (mathematics) , psychology , distortion (music) , value (mathematics) , advertising , position (finance) , interpretation (philosophy) , social psychology , computer science , microeconomics , business , economics , mathematics , amplifier , bandwidth (computing) , finance , machine learning , programming language , computer network , geometry
A persuasive message that favors one option in a binary choice can enhance the apparent value of its target by biasing the interpretation of subsequent information. The message installs its target as the initial leader in preference and lets the predecisional distortion of information defend that leadership position. An experiment that contrasts showing TV commercials before and after objective product information demonstrates this process. Ratings of the importance of the commercials to the choice indicate that people are aware of advertising's direct effect on their choice but not of its indirect effect through the biased evaluation of the product information.