The Effects of Magazine-Induced Psychological Responses and Thematic Congruence on Memory and Attitude toward the Ad in a Real-Life Setting

The effects of context-induced psychological responses have primarily been studied in experimental television settings. Contrary to previous research, this study examines the effects of context-induced psychological responses on the processing of magazine advertisements. Furthermore, a real-life survey design was used instead of an experimental design. Test ads were placed in the regular circulation of three magazine titles, and a representative sample of subscribers (n=263) was interviewed face-to-face. In addition to psychological responses, the influence of thematic congruence between magazines and advertisements was studied. Results show that magazine-induced liking and positive feelings had a positive influence on attitude toward the ad. Furthermore, thematically congruent advertisements were better remembered than incongruent advertisements.