Effects of Clothing as Nonverbal Communication on Credibility of the Message Source

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the effects on credibility ratings and stated intent to purchase of clothing worn by a message source in an advertising situation. Two levels of dress of the message source and two advertising situations were crossed to constitute a 2 x 2 factorial design. The subjects, 102 Black female consumers, were randomly assigned to the four experimental manipulations. Each subject evaluated one advertisement and rated her impression of the credibility of the person pictured in the advertisement and her intent to purchase the product advertised When the source was appropriately dressed for the task demonstrated in the advertisement and photographed in the appropriate situation, the subjects assigned significantly higher credibility and intent-to-purchase ratings than for any other dress-by-situation manipulation.