A Study on Differences in Attitudes and Memory Effects according to the Regulatory Focus Tendencies of Facebook Users and the Types of Message Appeals

Background/Objectives: This study aims to empirically determine differences in memory effects according to the individual tendencies of Facebook business page users with regard to regulatory focus (promotion/prevention) and types of Facebook message (rational/emotional appeal). Methods/Statistical Analysis: To test the aforementioned hypotheses, this study used a 2 X 2 between-subjects factorial design. The two factors are the self-regulatory focus (promotion/ prevention focus) of subjects, and (2) the types of message appeals (rational/emotional). Thus, this experiment used a 2 X 2 between-subjects factorial design according to the self-regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention focus) of subjects and the types of message appeals (rational/emotional), and conducted the analysis using Two-Way MANOVA. It is considered more valid to conduct MANOVA than repeating ANOVA for each dependent variable since it is grounded on relationships among dependent variables. Findings: First, emotional messages generated greater brand attitudes and memory effects among promotion-focused Facebook users. Second, prevention-focused Facebook users showed relatively high brand attitudes, with no difference between rational and emotional appeals. However, the memory effect was greater for emotional messages. Third, promotion-focused Facebook users tended to remember evaluation-focused information more than attribute-focused information. Fourth, unlike promotion-focused users, prevention-focused Facebook users tended to remember attribute-focused information more than evaluation-focused information. These users engage in systematic or cognitive information processing. Since prevention-focused users protect themselves from negative consequences such as risk or loss and try to increase their safety, they are extremely careful in their decision-making process. This motivates them to closely examine the attributes of the experimental product and remember the functions and features to be used in decision making. Application/Improvements: Since such users perceive their surroundings positively and place a greater emphasis on the benefits or achievements that can be obtained from products, they prefer emotional aspects in processing information on advertising models or other elements related to products