A psychophysiological approach for measuring response to messaging: How consumers emotionally process green advertising

Abstract

How does the consumer emotionally process and react to messaging intended to prompt responsible behavior toward the environment? This study provided a psychophysiological method to analyze how certain combinations of elements in an advertisement generate different types of response. Psychophysiology is the study of the relationship between the mind and the body. Specifically, the authors investigated whether a message could activate the consumer's defensive motivational system (resulting in inaction) or the appetitive motivational system (inspiring positive physical action). The findings offer evidence as to what type of message is better at provoking emotion so as to increase the potential of such campaigns to elicit positive changes in behavior. © Copyright Advertising Research Foundation 2015.