AFFECT INTENSITY AND THE CONSUMERS ATTITUDE TOWARD HIGH-IMPACT EMOTIONAL ADVERTISING APPEALS

Subjects scoring high on the Affect Intensity Measurement (AIM) scale responded with greater emotional intensity than low AI subjects to bot h positive and negative emotional appeals. These high AI individuals a lso expressed more positive attitudes and higher Levels of enjoyment o f the positive emotional appeal. However, in response to the negative emotional appeal, high AI and low AI subjects did not differ in ad enj oyment level or attitude toward the ad. Emotional responses mediated t he effects of affect intensity on attitude toward the ad only when sub jects were exposed to the positive emotional appeal. Theoretical and m anagerial implications of the effect of affect intensity on the recipi ent's attitude toward high impact emotional advertising appeals are di scussed.