Contextual Priming Effects in Print Advertisements: The Moderating Role of Prior Knowledge
Year
1993
Author(s)
Youjae Yi
Journal
Journal of Advertising
Volume
22(2)
Pages
1-10
This study examines the moderating effect of prior knowledge on the degree to which contextual priming influences evaluations of an ambiguous product (i.e., a product that can be evaluated in various ways) in the ad. Before subjects saw an ad containing ambiguous product information, one of the two product attributes pertinent to product evaluations had been brought to mind through contextual priming. Contextual priming had pronounced effects on brand evaluations among moderate-knowledge subjects, but the effects on low- and high-knowledge subjects diminished sharply. By showing that ad context can inhibit or facilitate the effects of a particular ad on brand evaluations and that the effects vary as a function of consumer knowledge, the study provides insights into the situations when contextual effects may be strong.