TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of source credibility in the presence or absence of prior attitudes
T2 - Implications for the design of persuasive communication campaigns
AU - Kumkale, G. Tarcan
AU - Albarracín, Dolores
AU - Seignourel, Paul J.
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - Most theories of persuasion predict that limited ability and motivation to think about communications should increase the impact of source credibility on persuasion. Furthermore, this effect is assumed to occur, regardless of whether or not the recipients have prior attitudes. In this study, the effects of source credibility, ability, and motivation (knowledge, message repetition, relevance) on persuasion were examined meta-analytically across both attitude formation and change conditions. Findings revealed that the Source Credibility × Ability/Motivation interaction emerged only when participants lacked prior attitudes and were unable to form a new attitude based on the message content. In such settings, the effects of source credibility decayed rapidly. The implications of these findings for applied communication campaigns are discussed.
AB - Most theories of persuasion predict that limited ability and motivation to think about communications should increase the impact of source credibility on persuasion. Furthermore, this effect is assumed to occur, regardless of whether or not the recipients have prior attitudes. In this study, the effects of source credibility, ability, and motivation (knowledge, message repetition, relevance) on persuasion were examined meta-analytically across both attitude formation and change conditions. Findings revealed that the Source Credibility × Ability/Motivation interaction emerged only when participants lacked prior attitudes and were unable to form a new attitude based on the message content. In such settings, the effects of source credibility decayed rapidly. The implications of these findings for applied communication campaigns are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00620.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00620.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 21625405
AN - SCOPUS:77954701463
VL - 40
SP - 1325
EP - 1356
JO - Journal of Applied Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Applied Social Psychology
SN - 0021-9029
IS - 6
ER -