Explaining the joint effect of source credibility and negativity of information in two‐sided messages

Abstract

By referring to different stages of an attribution process, this study examines how source credibility effects and opposing effects of negative information in two-sided messages can be disentangled. The findings show that disclosure uniqueness (i.e., whether disclosures in a two-sided message are given voluntarily or not) leads to both inferences on source credibility and inferences on product uniqueness. The inference on product uniqueness requires more cognitive effort on the part of the consumer than the inference on source credibility. Therefore, the effects of disclosures in two-sided messages on brand attitudes depend on the cognitive load of consumers. Consumers make either an inference on the source or on both the source and the product. The results add to previous attribution research and the two-sided message literature, showing that consumers under cognitive load can fail to make inferences on negative brand attributes in two-sided messages.

Can including pros and cons increase the helpfulness and persuasiveness of online reviews? The interactive effects of ratings and arguments

“…Such costs are offset under certain conditions (for a meta-analysis, see Eisend, 2006). For instance, two-sided advertisements yield positive effects when the negative and positive attributes are negatively correlated (Bohner, Einwiller, Erb, and Siebler, 2003;Pechmann, 1992), when individuals are promotion-(rather than prevention-) focused (Florack, Ineichen, and Bieri, 2009), when consumer suspicion of an ulterior motive is reduced (DeCarlo, 2005), and when negative information was voluntarily disclosed and consumers are under cognitive load (Eisend, 2010).…”

Disclosing Celebrity Endorsement in a Television Program to Mitigate Persuasion: How Disclosure Type and Celebrity Credibility Interact

“…This assumption may explain the success of connecting a celebrity to a brand. The source credibility model (Amos et al, 2008;Eisend, 2010;McCracken, 1989;Pornpitakpan, 2004) is an important and commonly used model that summarizes the characteristics of the celebrity that are most important for persuasion. This credibility concept is underscored by the expertise of the source (the communicator is perceived as a source of valid assertions) (Erdogan, 1999;Premeaux, 2009) and its trustworthiness (the amount of confidence in the communicator's intent to communicate valid assertions) (Ohanian, 1990).…”

Caring or Compulsion? The Effects of Consumer Attributions of Risk Information Disclosure in Direct‐to‐Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising

“…This is because such disclosure is thought to portray a willingness of the advertiser to sacrifice their self‐interest for the sake of consumers' benefit. This positive internal attribution is thought to mediate the robust effect of two‐sided messages on increased trust and credibility (Eisend ; Jones and Davis ; Smith and Hunt ). Furthermore, as the amount of negative information disclosure in an advertisement increases, the likelihood and magnitude of internal attribution generally increases, further enhancing the perceived trustworthiness of the advertiser (Crowley and Hoyer ).…”

“…As such, endorsement of positive internal attributions and the consequent trust toward the advertiser should vary positively with the amount of side effect information disclosed in the ad. Specifically, the presumed correspondence of the information disclosure to positive internal characteristics is a primary explanation for the enhanced source trustworthiness observed for two‐sided messages (Eisend ; Jones and Davis ; Smith and Hunt 1978). Hence, the level of internal attribution would be expected to serves as a mediator between the amount of side effect information and advertiser trust.…”