Self-Monitoring and Image Appeals in Advertising

Abstract

Two studies with samples of young adults (n = 130 and n = 168) were conducted to examine the effect of self-monitoring and susceptibility to interpersonal influence on preferences for image-oriented advertising. Although subjects scoring high on self-monitoring did tend to seek advertising information more than subjects scoring low on self-monitoring, the results generally did not support a relationship between self-monitoring with increased liking image-oriented advertisements. Relationships between susceptibility to interpersonal influence, self-monitoring, and preferences for image-oriented advertising were not consistent; however, women were more likely than men to prefer image-oriented advertising and were also more susceptible to interpersonal influence.