Consumer reactions to direct-to-consumer advertising: the model of goal-directed behavior, moral identity, and self-discrepancy regulation

We use the model of goal-directed behavior to investigate consumer reactions to direct-to-consumer drug ads and ascertain the self-regulatory roles of moral identity and the self-concept. Four hundred and four university students, who are prime targets for smart-drugs, were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, and side-effects were manipulated. Findings show that, as consumer moral identity increases, positive emotional and attitudinal reactions decline and have diminishing effects on desires and decisions to buy smart-drugs. Likewise, as the correspondence of self-concept and desires increases, the effects of desire on decisions increase.