Linking Dispositions and Social Behavior: Self-Monitoring and Advertising Preferences

Abstract

To help students appreciate the impact of dispositions on social behavior, I demonstrate to them how a particular disposition (self-monitoring propensity) relates to interesting differences in consumer behavior. Specifically, this exercise illustrates that individuals high in self-monitoring tend to be more responsive to advertisements that appeal to the image of a product, whereas those low in self-monitoring tend to be more responsive to advertisements that make claims about the quality of a product. Students in a social psychology course evaluated the demonstration as interesting, informative, and effective.