Self-Construal and Need-for-Cognition Effects on Brand Attitudes and Purchase Intentions in Response to Comparative Advertising in Thailand and the United States

This study investigates the moderating roles of self-construal and need for cognition (NFC) on brand attitudes and purchase intentions in response to comparative versus noncomparative advertising. To enhance reliability and external validity, the study is conducted in two culturally and economically distinct countries, Thailand and the United States. Independent self-construal exerts a moderating effect in both countries. Furthermore, as expected, this effect is observed for consumers with low but not high NFC. Unexpectedly, however, for low-NFC consumers, comparative ads are more persuasive among those with low rather than high independent self-construal. Heightened situational involvement, evoked by incongruity between self-construal and ad message structure, appears to be the psychological mediator underlying this effect.