The Impact of Persuasive Messages on IAT Performance is Moderated by Source Attractiveness and Likeability

In two studies, participants read persuasive messages introduced by an attractive (Study 1) or likeable (Study 2) source before completing measures of implicit and explicit evaluations. The persuasive messages were in favor of an unfamiliar brand of facial soap (Study 1) and the implementation of comprehensive examinations at the participants’ university (Study 2). Results showed that persuasive messages had a stronger impact on an Implicit Association Test when the source was high in attractiveness or likeability (Study 1 and Study 2); responses on an Affect Misattribution Procedure, though in the predicted direction, were not significantly impacted by a source high in likeability (Study 2). These findings parallel those of numerous studies that, however, have looked almost exclusively at persuasion of explicit evaluations. They confirm that implicit evaluations can be changed through direct persuasive appeals and provide new information about the conditions under which persuasion of implicit evaluations can be found.