In a consumer research classic, Maloney proposed that the disbelief most people experience when encountering exaggerated product claims is often overwhelmed by a natural curiosity. When advertising information conflicts with existing beliefs, the resulting disagreement must be somehow resolved. This is often done by (a) yielding to the message and trying out the product in an attempt to readjust personal attitudes toward the brand. In his study, a sample of housewives was exposed to advertisements for food products and then divided into two groups: those participants that found the ad claims to be believable and the others that thought they were hard to believe. The latter group was further divided into two groups, those who (b) confidently disbelieved the claims and those who had what Maloney described as a curious nonbelief. The latter was tied into beliefs that actual product experience was (c) necessary to fully judge the claims. Few consumers who clearly disbelieved the message were interested in trying the product (18%). However, Maloney’s results showed that more consumers who were in the curious nonbelief group were ready to try the product (44%) than in the group that expressed no concerns about (i.e., believed) the advertising claims (34%). The results suggest that advertising that causes consumers not to believe the message claims but makes them (d) indifferent may be the most effective form of new product advertising. Convincing consumers that the claims about a new product are true is not necessary to (e) create interest in product trial.
* overwhelm: 압도하다