Cognitive and Emotional Processing of Positive, Persuasive Messages in TV Ads [abstract]

Abstract

Studies suggest the human affective system is comprised of two separate appetitive and aversive subsystems and activation of those two subsystems is individualized. The primary focus of this study is to determine whether these individual differences (positivity offset or PO and negativity bias or NB) are predictors of cognitive and emotional responses to highly positive advertisements. Using the Motivational Activation Measure to isolate individual participants' positivity offsets and negativity biases, preliminary results suggest that these resting levels of activation are likely predictors of attention and intense positive emotion experienced during exposure and in turn are predictors of ad attitudes. Emerging trends of cardiac deceleration in groups with higher PO indicate more allocation of cognitive resources to encoding these ads. More consistent and sharper increases in orbiculous oculi facial electromyography also indicate more intensely positive emotion in these groups.