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Warnings of adverse side effects can backfire over time
Yael Steinhart1, Ziv Carmon, Yaacov Trope
11Faculty of Management, Tel Aviv University.
Psychological Science
|August 6, 2013
Summary
Product warnings can paradoxically increase appeal when viewed with temporal distance. This effect, driven by high-level construal, emphasizes trustworthiness over side effects, boosting product desirability over time.
Area of Science:
- Consumer Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
- Risk Perception
Background:
- Product warnings are intended to reduce consumer appeal by highlighting adverse side effects.
- However, the psychological impact of warnings may vary based on temporal factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the paradoxical effect of product warnings on consumer appeal under temporal distance.
- To explore the role of construal-level theory in explaining this phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- Four experimental studies were conducted involving product advertisements with and without warnings.
- Participants viewed ads and subsequently made purchasing decisions for products like cigarettes and artificial sweeteners.
- Temporal distance was manipulated by varying the time until product delivery or the time since ad viewing.
Main Results:
- Immediately after viewing an ad, warnings significantly decreased product purchases.
- With temporal distance, warnings ironically increased product purchases compared to ads without warnings.
- This effect was linked to high-level construal, which shifts focus from risks to message credibility.
Conclusions:
- Temporal distance can transform product warnings from deterrents into enhancers of product appeal.
- Construal-level theory provides a framework for understanding how abstract thinking influences risk perception and purchasing behavior.
- Marketing strategies should consider the temporal context when employing warnings to avoid unintended consequences.
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