Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5756

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

Kilbourne WE.
Perceptual biases in affirmative disclosures in print ads: Practical and public policy implications
Journal of Business Research 1990 Sep 1; 21:(2):131-141

Abstract:

Assessed the degree of bias (difference between evaluations when
affirmative disclosure was present or not present) in the impression formed by
the
reader of an advertisement for a lawyer. 139 undergraduates completed a
questionnaire after seeing an advertisement that stated (1) “Not certified by the
Texas
Board of Legal Specializations” or (2) “Certified . . .” or (3) contained
no disclosure. Results show a positivity bias for ability-related
judgments
when Statement 2 was present and a negativity bias for ethics-related
judgments
when Statement 1 was present. Findings provide additional support for the
notion that person positivity bias is mediated by such factors as type of
judgment being made. (PsycINFO Database Record © 2005 APA, all rights
reserved)