224 CHAPTER 7 ADVERTISINGaffect priming theory, affect can indirectly inform judgements by facilitating access to related cognitive categories.^89
Hence, affect can prime the encoding, retrieval and selective use of information in the constructive processing
of judgements. Within the AIM, it is implied that it is in the course of substantive, constructive processing that
affect is most likely to play a significant informational role in what is perceived, learned and recalled, and how
stimulus information is interpreted. Thus stimuli that are perceived as positively affective should lead to paying
closer attention to positive information, better learning such details, and making more positive interpretations of
ambiguous information. The AIM also implies that judgements about more complex stimuli (substantive pro-
cessing context), requiring more elaborate processing and made without the benefit of objective evidence, should
show greater affective effects. According to this principle, substantive processing is more likely when the message
is personally relevant.
A study with Belgian and Spanish participants aimed at exploring the role of message affect and message
thoughts in the processing of Alzheimer awareness messages varying in argument strength and affective tone of
visuals.^90 The study compares two target groups. The first one is older people (hereafter referred to as the ‘General
Public’), an age cohort that is a prime target group for Alzheimer awareness messages. The second group are
Caregivers of Alzheimer patients. The study investigates differences in message processing depending on the level
of experience with Alzheimer’s disease. The first sample consisted of 495 Belgian and Spanish seniors. The second
sample, the Alzheimer Caregivers sample, consisted of 243 Belgian and Spanish Caregivers for patients with
Alzheimer’s disease.
Six Alzheimer awareness messages were developed in which two levels of argument strength (weak and strong)
were combined with three pictures of different affective valence (negative, neutral and positive). These messages
were aimed at convincing people to seek early treatment. A 2 (message strength: weak–strong) × 3 (affective
valence of image: negative–neutral–positive) between-subjects design was used to collect the data. Participants
received an e-mail with a link to a Web survey. After answering a number of demographic questions, they viewed
one of the six Alzheimer’s disease messages, to which they were randomly assigned. Subsequently, they answered
questions on scales evaluating their responses to the message.
One of the main conclusions of the study is that the affective reaction to an Alzheimer message is very important
for its effectiveness. Affect plays an important role in the development of message thoughts and message out-
comes such as Alzheimer thoughts, perceived message substance and the attitude towards the ad. However, what
causes this affective reaction, the process by means of which the affective reactions lead to message outcomes,
and the role of message thoughts in this process differ according to groups with varying levels of Alzheimer’s
disease experience. For the non-experienced General Public participants, processsing Alzheimer messages is to
a certain extent affect-driven, but message thoughts play an important mediating role in processing the message.
The afffective reaction to the message and argument strength substantially determine message thoughts. Partly
through the development of message thoughts, affective reactions positively transfer to perceived message
substance, Alzheimer thoughts and the attitude towards the message, suggesting affect priming and infusion as
well as central biased processing. In the case of experienced Caregiver participants, processing Alzheimer mes-
sages is more exclusively affect-driven in that affect plays a much more prominent role in the development of
Alzheimer thoughts, perceived message substance and the attitude towards the message, and the development of
message thoughts is not influenced by affective reactions, neither do they mediate their effect.
The results of the study have implications for health communication professionals. Processing health
messages and forming health issue judgements following these messages is largely an affect-driven process
for both experienced and non-experienced subjects. In the General Public, positive affective reactions are an
important prerequisite for the development of positive attitudes and thoughts. Nevertheless, argument strength
remains an important driver of positive message processing too, and special care should be taken that positive
message thoughts are also developed. Secondly, various message components may evoke positive affective
reactions. Argument strength is one of them, but also the type of visual is an important driver of affective
responses. On the basis of the study, neutrally valenced images seem to be the optimal choice in this type of
message. For the subjects with Alzheimer’s disease experience, affect is the main driver in forming judgements
about Alzheimer’s disease messages. The development of messages for groups with Alzheimer experience
should pay close attention to evoking a positive affective reaction to the message, and not so much to developing
positive message thoughts.M07_PELS3221_05_SE_C07.indd 224M07_PELS3221_05_SE_C07.indd 224 6/5/13 3:01 PM6/5/13 3:01 PM