The Effects of Sexual and Non-Sexual Advertising Appeals and Information Level on Cognitive Processing and Communication Effectiveness

Abstract

Previous research on the use of either implicit or explicit sexual imagery in advertising has focused mainly on factors such as the gender of the receiver, the product advertised (sexually or non-sexually related), and the type of stimulus presented (double entendre, decorative models, and nudity). Many of the relevant studies have focused on lower-order cognitive processes such as recall and/or recognition. Few, if any at all, examine the higher-order cognitive processes underlying reactions to sexually explicit material. The present study examines the role of visually explicit sexual stimuli in the processing of verbal information in a persuasive message, and the resulting effect on traditional outcome measures of recall, attitudes, and behavioral intentions, as well as higher-order cognitive response measures. In so doing, the study contributes to a greater understanding of sexual- and non-sexual appeals and how they are affected by information level.

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