Consumers' processing of persuasive advertisements: An integrative framework of persuasion theories

In this article, the authors propose an integrative model of advertising pe rsuasion that orders the major theories and empirically supported generaliz ations about persuasion that have been offered in the information-processin g literature. The authors begin by reviewing this literature, placing parti cular emphasis on the assorted processes or mechanisms that have been sugge sted to mediate persuasion. To consolidate this material, the authors propo se a framework that delineates three alternative strategies that people may use to process persuasive communications and form judgments, in which each strategy represents a different level of cognitive resources that is emplo yed during message processing. In addition, the framework identifies a judg ment correction stage that allows people to attempt to correct their initia l judgments for biases that they perceive may have affected such judgments. The authors add to this by identifying particular processes that appear to mediate when and how these judgment formation and judgment correction proc esses operate. They also attempt to foster growth by specifying some of the critical issues and gaps in the knowledge that appear to impede further pr ogress. Finally, the authors clarify how the proposed framework can inform the decisions advertising practitioners make about advertising execution an d media factors.