AFFECT INTENSITY - AN INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE RESPONSE TO ADVERTISING APPEALS

The Affect Intensity Measurement (AIM) scale assesses the strength of the emotions with which individuals respond to an affect-laden stimulus. This study investigated the extent to which individual differences in affect intensity influence the message recipient's responses to emotional advertising appeals. In two experiments high affect intensity individuals, compared with those who scored low on the AIM scale, (1) manifested significantly stronger emotional responses to the emotional advertising appeal and (2) showed no differences in emotional response intensity when exposed to a nonemotional appeal. Both negative and positive emotions mediated the influence of affect intensity on attitude formation.