The effect of consumer self-esteem and reported attitude change in the context of different persuasion strategies

Abstract

An experiment was conducted on Maltese students to examine the relationship between self-esteem and reported attitude change as a result of being exposed to a promotional flyer. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire and the 126 valid questionnaires were analysed using a paired samples t-test. The results showed that, in the case of students possessing low self-esteem, there was a significant change in their attitude toward the product and their intention to buy it. This significant change was absent in the case of students possessing high self-esteem. The results indicate that the population investigated, characterised by a high number of students possessing low self-esteem, seems to be particularly vulnerable to attitude change. The finding is in line with early research on persuasion (e.g. Cohen, 1959) but contradicts other recent literature (e.g. Petty and Wegener, 1998).