Effects of Erotophobia on the Persuasiveness of Condom Advertisements Containing Strong or Weak Arguments

Abstract

Individual differences in erotophobia affect the way people process sexually related information, such as information concerning safer sex. This study tests the hypothesis that people who are erotophobic are less likely to take the central route in information processing about sexual material as described by the elaboration likelihood model. Female college students (n = 94) were randomly assigned to view a condom advertisement containing either strong or weak arguments. Consistent with predictions, all women were more persuaded by the advertisement containing strong rather than weak arguments. However, erotophobic women were also relatively more persuaded by weak arguments than were erotophilic women. Erotophobia appears to interfere with central route processing of sexually related messages.