The Impact of Affect on Memory of Advertising

The impact of affect on memory has been considered by both advertising and neuroscience research. As part of testing a MAC (Memory⊃ Affect⊃ Cognition) model of the intermediate effects of advertising, four hypotheses were developed: ads with higher affective content would have higher recognition and recall, and subjects treated with β-blockers (Propranolol), which interact with those brain regions known to mediate affect, would have lower recognition and recall than those treated with placebos. The hypotheses are tested and broadly supported. This exploratory research, taken in conjunction with previous work, indicates some ways in which affect enhances advertising effectiveness. We conclude with directions for further research and testing the MAC model.