Conceptualizing Humor in Advertising: The Moderating Role of Self-Monitoring

Hameed, Irfan and Jamal Siddiqui, Siraj and Husain, Javed (2016): Conceptualizing Humor in Advertising: The Moderating Role of Self-Monitoring. Published in: Pakistan Business Review , Vol. 18, No. 3 (2016): pp. 692-709.

Abstract

This research paper explores the mediating role of attitude towards the advertisement and attitude towards the brand, and moderating role of self-monitoring in the relationships between perceived humor in the advertisement and purchase intention of the customer. Survey data was collected from 209 individuals after showing advertisements. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and macro developed by Preacher and Hays have been used to test moderation and mediation effect in the hypothesized model. A good fit between the data and tested model was observed. As predicted, purchase intention was positively related to perceived humor and full mediation effect has been found. The moderating role of self-monitoring has also been supported by the data. The findings are particularly salient for national and multinational media agencies in Pakistan as well in the other parts of the world.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Perceived Humor, Purchase Intention, Self-Monitoring, Attitude towards the advertisement, Attitude towards the brand
• Subjects: M - Business Administration and Business Economics ; Marketing ; Accounting ; Personnel Economics > M3 - Marketing and Advertising

References

Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173-1182.

Chattopadhyay, A., & Basu, K. (1990). Humor in advertising: The moderating role of prior brand evaluation. Journal of Marketing Research, 27(4), 466–476.

Cho, H. G., & Stout, P. A. (1993). An extended perspective on the role of emotion in advertising processing. Advances in Consumer Research, 20, 692–697.

Chung, H., & Zhao, X. (2011). The Effects of Humor on Ad Processing: Mediating Role of Brand Familiarity, Journal of Promotion Management, 17(1), 76-95.

Cline, T. W., & Kellaris, J. J. (2007). The influence of humor strength and humor-message relatedness on ad memorability: A dual process model. Journal of Advertising, 36(1), 55–67.

DeBono, K. G., &Harnish, R. J. (1988). Source expertise, source attractiveness, and the processing of persuasive information: A functional approach. Journal of Personality and social psychology, 55, 541-546.

Eisend, M. (2009). A meta-analysis of humor in advertising. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 37(2), 191–203.

Gelb, B. D., & Pickett, C. M. (1983). Attitude-toward-the-ad: Links to humor and to advertising effectiveness. Journal of Advertising, 12(2), 34–42.

Gulas, C. S., & Weinberger, M. G. (2006). Humor in advertising. A comprehensive analysis. Armonk, NY: Sharpe.

Hayes, A. F. & Preacher, K. J. (2014). Statistical mediation analysis with a multicategorical independent variable. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 67, 451-470.

Lang, A., Kurita, S., Gao, Y., & Rubenking, B. (2013). Measuring television message complexity as available processing resources: Dimensions of information and cognitive load. Media Psychology, 16(2), 129–153.

Lang, A., Sanders-Jackson, A., Wang, Z., & Rubenking, B. (2013). Motivated message processing: How motivational activation influences resource allocation, encoding, and storage of TV messages. Motivation and Emotion, 37(3), 508–517.

Lennox, R. D., & Wolfe, R. N. (1984). Revision of the self-monitoring scale. Journal of personality and Social Psychology, 46(6), 1349-1364.

Lord, K. R., Lee, M., & Sauer, P. L. (1995). ‘The Combined Influence Hypothesis: Central and Peripheral Antecedents of Attitude Toward the Ad. Journal of Advertising, 24, 73-85.

McRae, K., Misra, S., Prasad, A. K., Pereira, S. C., & Gross, J. J. (2012). Bottom-up and top-down emotion generation: Implications for emotion regulation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7(3), 253–262.

Preacher, K. J., & Hays, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717-731.

Preacher, K. J., & Hays, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and re sampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879-891

Reichert, T., & Carpenter, C. (2004). An update on sex in magazine advertising: 1983 to 2003. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 81(4), 823–837.

Sasser, S. L., & Koslow. S. (2008). Desperately seeking advertising creativity: Engaging an imaginative” 3Ps” research agenda. Journal of Advertising, 37(4), 5-20.

Shrout, P. E., & Bolger, N. (2002). Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: New procedures and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 7, 422–445.

Sparks J. V., & Lang, A. (2014). Mechanisms Underlying the Effects of Sexy and Humorous Content in Advertisements. Communication Monographs, 1-29.

Sparks, J. V., & Lang, A. (2010). An initial examination of the postauricular reflex as a physiological indicator of appetitive activation during television viewing. Communication Methods and Measures, 4(4), 311–330.

Snyder, M. (1974). The self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30, 526-537.

Wang, Z., Lang, A., & Busemeyer, J. R. (2011). Motivational processing and choice behavior during television viewing: An integrative dynamic approach. Journal of Communication, 61(1), 71–93.

Wang, Z., Solloway, T., Tchernev, J. M., & Barker, B. (2012). Dynamic motivational processing of antimarijuana messages: Coactivation begets attention. Human Communication Research, 38(4), 485–509.

Weinberger, M. G., &Gulas, C. S. (1992). The impact of humor in advertising: A review. Journal of Advertising, 21(4), 35–59.

WoltmanElpers, J. L. C. M., Mukherjee, A., & Hoyer, W. D. (2004). Humor in television advertising: A moment-to-moment analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(3), 592–598.

Yi, Y. (1990). Cognitive and Affective Priming Effects of the Context for Print Advertisements, Journal of Advertising, 19, 40-48.

Zhang, Y. (1996). Responses to humorous advertising: The moderating effect of need for cognition. Journal of Advertising, 25(1), 15–32.

Zhang, Y. &Zinkhan, G. (2006). Humor in Television Advertising: Does Audience Involvement Matter?. Journal of Advertising, 35(4), 113-127.

Zhao, X., Lynch, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and Truths about Mediation Analysis. The Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197-206.