Eastern Kentucky University
Explicit and Implicit Memories for Sexual and Nonsexual Advertisements
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Catherine Clement
Abstract
Prior marketing research investigating memories for advertisements has primarily examined explicit memory as a process of retrieving ad information. Explicit memory for recalling ad information requires the consumer to consciously think back to the previously seen ad. Studies in this area have shown that with a lengthy delay between ad exposure and testing, or with divided attention during the ad exposure, explicit memory for an ad is poor. The purpose of the present study was to examine an alternative retrieval process, implicit memory, which may function differently from explicit memory. This form of memory retrieval does not rely on consumers’ deliberate search of memory for a previously viewed advertisement, and is also shown to be successful, even when explicit memory fails. These two different forms of retrieval processes may also be differently affected by the content of ads, for example by whether ads have sexual or non-sexual content. Prior research suggests that while participants may pay more attention to sexual ads, the brand names associated with sexual imagery will be less likely to be explicitly recalled than brand names with non-sexual imagery. The present study investigated the effect sexual and non-sexual advertisements have on explicit and implicit memory for brand names.
Explicit and Implicit Memories for Sexual and Nonsexual Advertisements
Prior marketing research investigating memories for advertisements has primarily examined explicit memory as a process of retrieving ad information. Explicit memory for recalling ad information requires the consumer to consciously think back to the previously seen ad. Studies in this area have shown that with a lengthy delay between ad exposure and testing, or with divided attention during the ad exposure, explicit memory for an ad is poor. The purpose of the present study was to examine an alternative retrieval process, implicit memory, which may function differently from explicit memory. This form of memory retrieval does not rely on consumers’ deliberate search of memory for a previously viewed advertisement, and is also shown to be successful, even when explicit memory fails. These two different forms of retrieval processes may also be differently affected by the content of ads, for example by whether ads have sexual or non-sexual content. Prior research suggests that while participants may pay more attention to sexual ads, the brand names associated with sexual imagery will be less likely to be explicitly recalled than brand names with non-sexual imagery. The present study investigated the effect sexual and non-sexual advertisements have on explicit and implicit memory for brand names.