Cynicism and Conformity as Correlates of Trust in Product Information Sources

The authors examine patterns of correlation among personality variables that may be related to trust in advertising and to trust in other sources of product information. Trust in sources of product information is positively related to consumer conformity and not related to general cynicism. In addition, trust in advertising decreases as education level increases, while trust in more objective sources such as Consumer Reports increases. This pattern of relationships suggests that mistrust in advertising reflects a skeptical, discerning attitude rather than a generally cynical one. The authors argue that consumer skepticism may actually benefit advertisers who can adapt to it.