Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9195

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Christensen TP, Ascione FJ.
EFFECT OF DIRECT TO CONSUMER ADVERTISING IN AN ELDERLY POPULATION
1995 Mar; 42:145

Abstract:

The overall goal of this research was to examine the effect of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drug products on elderly consumers. In particular, the specific aim was to examine the effect of promotional aspects of ad execution on elderly consumers’ perception of risk information. The study had a 2 (involvement: high/low)x2 (argument quality: strong/weak)x2(source credibility: high/low) design based on the theoretical concepts of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM); a general model of attitude change which provides a comprehensive framework for organizing, categorizing and understanding the underlying processes of persuasive communications. The basic study plan involved randomly assigning a group of elderly consumers to each of the experimental conditions and exposing them to an advertisement for a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug. After reviewing the advertisement, subjects were asked to respond to a set of questions measuring their attitudes toward the advertisement and the product, behavioral intention to use the product, and perceived risk. An ANOVA of effects revealed a three-way interaction between involvement, source credibility and argument quality on perceptions of risk (p=0.1). The study provides evidence that individual and situational differences may influence an individual’s ability and motivation to process risk information.