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Abstract
In this research, we examine the influence of liking for antismoking public service announcements (PSAs), relative to that of PSAs' perceived argument strength, on adolescents' smoking-related behavioral intentions. Data from the first Legacy Media Tracking Survey (LMTS–I) suggest that the relative persuasive impact of PSA liking and perceived argument strength varies as a function of message recipients' smoking status. PSA liking appears to be an important predictor of smoking intentions for never smokers, whereas perceived argument strength strongly predicts quitting intentions for current smokers. For former smokers, both perceived argument strength and PSA liking have significant effects on smoking intentions, with perceived argument strength exerting a stronger impact. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.