Guilt Appeals in Advertising: An Exploratory Study

A two-stage exploratory study was conducted to assess the effect of guilt as an advertising appeal. A sample of 46 working mothers were asked to respond to three advertisements for a microwavable dinner product in which the message intent was to create guilt (i.e., low, medium, and high). The advertisements were constructed following a content analysis of several popular women's magazines. A set of 18 adjectives covering both guilt- and nonguilt-related items was provided for each advertisement. The adjective sets had a five-point response range, with endpoints labeled “Not at All” to “Very.” A varimax factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution, including factors of guilt, anger, and happiness. An analysis of variance identified significant changes in subjects' perceived guilt, anger, and happiness across the three advertisements. Further, medium guilt appeals were more effective in inducing guilt in respondents than those either low or high in guilt. Finally, as the level of guilt represented in an advertisement increased, the subjects' anger also increased.