Abstract

This research investigates the effect of narcissism on consumers’ affective reaction to advertising. Narcissists are burdened with the duality of the overinflated self-view and the vulnerability of the unrealistic ego. They tend to be paranoid of the mere introspection of self-image, because such introspection can expose the vulnerability they have been diligent to avoid. Therefore, ads that are closely relevant to the viewer’s self-image can lead to a negative affective response. Several experiments show support for this hypothesis and illustrate implications for advertising practice. Taking into consideration reports that narcissism is on the rise within the population, promotional ads that expect to encounter narcissistic consumers should consider the appeal relevant to self-image with caution, while preventive ads, such as those based on fear appeal, can benefit from enhanced relevance to this audience.

摘要

本研究调查了自恋对消费者对广告的情感反应的影响。自恋者背负着过度膨胀的自我观和不切实际的自我的脆弱性的双重性。他们倾向于偏执于自我形象的单纯反省，因为这种反省会暴露他们一直努力避免的脆弱性。因此，与观众的自我形象密切相关的广告会导致负面的情感反应。几项实验显示了对这一假设的支持，并说明了对广告实践的影响。考虑到自恋在人群中呈上升趋势的报道，预计会遇到自恋消费者的促销广告应谨慎考虑与自我形象相关的诉求，而预防性广告，