Susceptibility to authority figures in advertising with persuasive strategies – age differences in perception

Background and aim: Advertising effectiveness depends on consumers’ susceptibility to persuasive strategies, which varies across age and psychological characteristics. This study investigated age-related differences in responses to authority-based advertising, focusing on three types of authority representations: aggressive, romantic, and competent. The aim was to identify how these authority cues interact with age to influence perception, engagement, and persuasion. Methods: The study employed an adapted Susceptibility to Persuasive Strategies Scale (STPS), including authority-specific, unity, and social proof items. Participants were exposed to experimental advertising stimuli featuring the three authority types. One-way ANOVA and MANOVA analyzed differences between age groups, while reliability analyses confirmed the robustness of the adapted scale (Cronbach’s alpha: overall α = 0.795; authority α = 0.76; subscales 0.58–0.65 acceptable). Results: ANOVA revealed that participants aged 56–65 exhibited the highest overall sensitivity to authority cues, 21–24-year-olds showed strong responses to unity effects, and social proof susceptibility peaked in the 46–55 age group. MANOVA confirmed significant multivariate differences (Wilk’s Lambda = 0.72, F = 5.27, p < 0.001). Younger participants (18–20 years) were most responsive to aggressive and romantic authority cues, whereas middle-aged adults (25–35) responded primarily to competent authority, showing lower susceptibility to aggressive portrayals. Aggressive authority cues reduced persuasiveness among older groups, while youth responses were moderated by identification and unity cues. Conclusions and Implications: Age moderates the effectiveness of authority-based advertising, with message style and presentation crucial for maximizing impact. Tailoring authority cues to demographic and psychological characteristics enhances engagement and persuasiveness. The study contributes methodologically by integrating validated susceptibility measures with experimental manipulations and provides practical guidance for designing targeted, age-sensitive advertising strategies. Originality: This study emphasizes age-specific susceptibility to persuasive strategies by considering individual differences in psychological profiles, preferences, and responses to different types of authority messages and authority representations, offering nuanced insights for targeted advertising.