Sleeper effect

Definition

The sleeper effect is a psychological phenomenon where a persuasive message initially has a weak impact on the audience, but over time, its effectiveness increases as the audience forgets the source of the message. This occurs because the persuasive content becomes separated from its less credible source, leading individuals to adopt the message without skepticism. Understanding this effect is crucial in advertising as it highlights how consumer attitudes can change over time based on memory and perception.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The sleeper effect suggests that consumers may remember a message even if they forget the source, allowing persuasive content to take root over time.
2. This effect is particularly relevant in advertising where marketers want their messages to resonate long after they have been presented.
3. The sleeper effect can lead to increased acceptance of an idea or product, especially if initial exposure was paired with negative sentiments about its source.
4. Messages that are emotionally charged or resonate with personal values are more likely to experience a sleeper effect.
5. Understanding the sleeper effect can help advertisers strategically plan when and how to present messages to maximize long-term impact.

Review Questions

• How does the sleeper effect influence consumer attitudes over time, and what implications does this have for advertisers?
  • The sleeper effect influences consumer attitudes by allowing persuasive messages to become more impactful as the source is forgotten. Advertisers can take advantage of this phenomenon by creating messages that may not immediately resonate but can gain traction as consumers reflect on them later. This means that even if an ad doesn't initially convince someone, it could still shape their perceptions in the long run if they remember the message but forget its origin.
• Discuss how source credibility interacts with the sleeper effect and affects consumer responses to advertising.
  • Source credibility plays a crucial role in determining how messages are received initially. A message from a low-credibility source may have limited impact at first due to skepticism. However, over time, as consumers forget who delivered the message, the content itself may gain acceptance, demonstrating the sleeper effect. This underscores the importance for advertisers to find ways to boost their perceived credibility while delivering impactful messages that could outlast initial doubts.
• Evaluate how knowledge of the sleeper effect can inform advertising strategies aimed at changing consumer behavior in competitive markets.
  • Knowledge of the sleeper effect allows advertisers to develop strategies that focus on long-term influence rather than immediate results. In competitive markets, this could mean crafting campaigns that build on repeated exposure while employing emotionally engaging content that resonates with consumers' values. By understanding that initial reactions may not reflect eventual acceptance, advertisers can create a series of touchpoints that reinforce key messages over time, ultimately leading to behavioral changes in target audiences as they gradually accept and trust the ideas presented.

Related terms

Source Credibility: The level of trustworthiness and expertise that an audience attributes to a communicator, which can significantly influence how messages are received.

Primacy Effect: A cognitive bias where information presented first has a stronger influence on opinions and attitudes than information presented later.

Recency Effect: A cognitive phenomenon where the most recently presented information has a greater impact on attitudes than earlier information.