Ad eroticism from a psychological distance perspective: Investigating its effects in light of consumers’ sex, ethical judgments, and moral attentiveness

Abstract

Building on construal level theory and psychological distance, this paper considers the impact of erotic appeal ads in terms of consumer reactions; the demographic and ethically related psychographic factors of sex and moral attentiveness are also examined. Two experiments delve into different psychological distance types, evoking variant construal levels while promoting a different product category across different levels of erotic intensity in the ad. Findings indicate that as the psychological distance or construal level decreases, reactions become more unfavorable, regardless of the ad’s level of erotic intensity. Furthermore, reactions vary depending on sex and moral attentiveness; women and individuals with high moral attentiveness levels (MALs) express stronger objections. Finally, across the levels of erotic intensity, ethical judgments systematically mediate the ads’ effects on attitudes and behaviors, and this mediation effect is intensified when viewers act under a low construal or psychological distance level and when erotic intensity level increases.