Attitude Toward the Ad (Informativeness)

What it measures

A three-item semantic differential scale measuring the degree to which an advertisement is perceived to be informative — providing additional information about the issue or product, explaining relevant connections, and stimulating thoughts about the topic. Items contain blanks to be filled with the name of the issue or product and, in item 2, the product-issue link being communicated. The scale captures the cognitive and informational value of an ad, complementing affective ad attitude measures.

Response format

7-point semantic differential (fill-in-the-blank)

Scale items

• gives me additional information about [product/issue] / doesn't give me additional information about [product/issue]
• explains the link between [issue] and [product] / doesn't explain the link between [issue] and [product]
• stimulates my thoughts about [product/issue] / does not stimulate my thoughts about [product/issue]

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK FORMAT: Item 1 and 3 blanks should be replaced with the product or issue name. Item 2 requires two blanks — the issue and the product — reflecting the link the ad is attempting to communicate. Two reliability estimates: α = .86 — Pham & Avnet (2004); α = .81 — Haws, Dholakia & Bearden (2010, Journal of Marketing Research 47(5), 967–982). VALIDITY: Not reported. Companion to the Attitude Toward the Ad (Affective) scale (ATAA2) — the two scales were used together to examine affect- versus cognition-based persuasion.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Pham, Michel Tuan and Tamar Avnet (2004). Ideals and oughts and the reliance on affect versus substance in persuasion. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(4), 503–518.

Keywords