The Effects of Contextual Priming in Print Advertisements
Year
1990
Author(s)
Youjae Yi
Journal
Journal of Consumer Research
Volume
17(2)
Pages
215-222
This study investigated one particular way that contextual materials can affect the processing of ambiguous product information in print ads. It was proposed that prior exposure to contextual factors can prime certain product attributes and subsequently increase the likelihood that consumers interpret product information in terms of these activated attributes, thereby affecting the evaluation of the advertised brand. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis, and the results demonstrated that specific attributes relevant to evaluating the advertised brand varied in their accessibility as a function of the context and that these variations influenced brand attitudes.