Multiple Role Hypothesis

ELM
n CentralRoute: To process all the
information diligently; form attitudes
based on only target-relevant information
ELM
— Peripheral Route: To process only the
salient, easy-to-process information; form
attitudes based on salient, easy-to-process
information without considering its
relevance with target
 Misunderstanding of ELM
— First misunderstanding
◦ Cues (easy-to-process information)-> peripheral route
◦ Verbal argument->ventral route

◦ Correct concept:
– Peripheral cues can play the role of central merits and function
on the central route (if they are product-relevant information)

– Verbal arguments are not necessarily the central merits (if they
are product-irrelevant information) and do not necessarily
function on the central route

Periperal cue: easy to process information

Central Argument: information related to judging the true quality of the target
Misunderstanding of ELM
— Second misunderstanding
◦ Elaboration likelihood is dichotomous

◦ Correct concept:
– Elaboration likelihood is a continuum
– Central and peripheral routes can co-occur.
Persuasion

Low High
 Dual Process
— Not a uniprocess
— Why dual-process?
◦ Quantitative effect 低涉入的人處理的資訊較少；高涉入的人處理的資訊較多

◦ Qualitative effect 低涉入的人不會管資訊是否與產品相關；高涉入的人則會

低涉入者處理的資訊較少
 Multiple Role Hypothesis
By serving Low
as a involvement
peripheral
Moderate cue High
involvement involvement
By
A persuasive
determining variable can By serving as
the extent affect a central
of attitude : argument
elaboration

By
producing a
bias in High
elaboration involvement
ambiguous的敘述：可能被解讀成正面或負面的資訊
Endorser’s Multiple Roles

高低涉入的人，明星代言都有用
因為她

Low
involvement

Play as an easy-to-
process persuasive
information
(peripheral cue)
Endorser’s Multiple Roles

Moderate
involvement
Play to influence
the extent of
elaboration

More attractive
endorser would lead
to more information
elaboration
Endorser’s Multiple Roles
Play as a product-
High
relevant persuasive
involvement
information
(central argument)

Play to bias
processing direction

More attractive
endorser would lead
to more favorable
elaboration
High Elaboration
— Not necessarily the “objective processing”
— Could be “biased processing” (especially
when the product information is
ambiguous)
Experiment
(Petty and Cacioppo 1984)
高低涉入的人，明星代言都有用
因為她既是與產品相關的資訊（central route）
也具有「明星」的知名度（peripheral route）
Experiment (Miniard, Bhatla, Lord,
Dickson, and Unnava 1991)
共同點：毛絨絨、柔軟→對高涉入有效
可愛→對低涉入有效
Experiment (Miniard, Bhatla, Lord,
Dickson, and Unnava 1991)
漂亮的景色→對低涉入的人有效
但因為它們沒有共同點，所以對高涉入沒效
Multiple Role Hypothesis
— Any given variable can influence
attitudes by different processes
— Variables can take on different
roles at different points along the
elaboration continuum
Applications
— The effect of an attractive endorser with
beautiful hair on perceptions of the
shampoo product:
◦ Low involvement
Application (cont’d)
◦ Moderate involvement
Application(cont’d)
◦ High involvement
Application
— The effect of an attractive endorser
without beautiful hair on perception of
shampoo product:
◦ Low involvement:
Application(cont’d)
◦ Moderate involvement
Application(cont’d)
◦ High involvement
Application
— A facial tissue ad
With a cute With a pretty
kitten photo sunset photo

Low Better product Better product

perception perception
involvement (compared to no
photo)
Moderate Increase processing Increase processing
amount amount
involvement

High Better product No difference in

perception (due to product perception
involvement shared attribute)
Product-Relevant Persuasive
variable

— Expertise association
— Shared, accessible attribute
互相連結的屬性

— Demonstration of product value

— Judgmental dimension例如高社經地位的人代言高級產品，
Application
— Other applications include mood and the
majority/minority effects on product
perceptions
Mood Congruency Effect：正向心情的時候，判斷一個東西會覺得比較好；負向心情的時候，會覺得比較差
在高涉入的人，是屬於bias elaboration→根據Associative Network Model會刺激好心情的node
低涉入的人

Mood’s Multiple Role

Manipulate good mood when
seeing the car ad

Low Better product perception (compared

involvement to no mood manipulation)

Moderate Decrease processing amount (because

involvement people want to maintain good mood
and processing might interrupt good
mood) Mood maintenance theory/
Feeling-as- information theory
High Bias elaboration direction
involvement Better product perception (compared
to no mood manipulation)
Majority/Minority’s Multiple Role
The product is supported by the
majority of consumers (e.g., 80%) vs. by
the minority of consumers (e.g., 20%)

Low Better product perception (compared

involvement to the minority condition)

Moderate Increase processing amount

involvement

High Better product perception (compared

involvement to the minority condition)
Discussion
— What other variables may also play
multiple roles?