Insidious Effects Of Syntactic Complexity: Are Ads Targeting Older Adults Too Complex To Remember?

Abstract

This research examines the role of syntactic complexity—complexity induced by the sentence structure of the text—on memory for print ads. The authors find that ads aimed at older adults contain significant complexity, which commonly used readability indexes fail to detect. Further, syntactic complexity adversely affects message recall in older (age 65 and up), but not younger, adults. This adverse effect of syntactic complexity on memory continues even when motivation to process the message is high. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.

Publication Date

10-1-2016

Publication Title

Journal of Advertising

Volume

45

Issue

4

Number of Pages

509-518

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2016.1262301

Socpus ID

85003794166 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85003794166

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