将错就“措”还是改“谐”归正? 谐音对消费者广告评价的影响

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0331

摘要/Abstract

摘要：

谐音早已成为一种广泛使用的重要广告语言工具, 但尚未有研究考察谐音对广告效果的影响。基于失谐理论, 本文通过7个实验(N = 2456), 考察了谐音对广告评价的影响, 以及其作用机制和边界条件。结果发现, 谐音能够促使消费者产生更为积极的广告评价, 且这一影响藉由新颖性、有趣性的链式中介而实现。然而, 谐音对广告评价的这一积极效应会受到消费者新颖性寻求水平、产品消费风险、广告诉求的调节。具体而言, 当消费者的新颖性寻求水平较低, 或者产品消费风险很高、广告突出权威性时, 谐音对广告评价的这一影响会受到削弱。本文结论不仅丰富了谐音启动和失谐理论方面的研究, 也为企业广告实践和营销沟通提供了行之有效的管理洞察。

关键词: 谐音, 失谐, 新颖性寻求, 感知风险, 广告诉求

Abstract:

Homophony has long been a widely utilized linguistic tool in advertising, yet its effects on ad evaluation remain under-explored. This study, grounded in incongruity theory, aims to address this gap through a series of seven experiments involving 2, 456 participants. The findings reveal that homophonic elements in advertisements can lead to more positive consumer evaluations, primarily mediated through perceptions of novelty and interest. However, the positive impact of homophony is moderated by factors such as consumers' novelty-seeking tendencies, perceived consumption risk, and the nature of the ad appeal.

Firstly, homophony induces a mild state of incongruity in consumers, prompting them to engage more deeply with the ad to resolve this incongruity. This engagement is facilitated by contextual cues within the advertisement, which help consumers understand the intended meaning of the homophonic elements. As a result, consumers perceive the ad as more novel and entertaining, leading to more favorable evaluations.

The study also proposes boundary conditions for the effectiveness of homophony. When consumers exhibit low levels of novelty-seeking, or when the advertised product carries high consumption risk, the positive effects of homophony diminish. Additionally, ads emphasizing authority and expertise are less likely to benefit from homophonic elements, as these may undermine the perceived seriousness and credibility of the ad.

This paper conducted seven studies to provide support for these propositions. The Pilot Study, with 256 college students, provided initial evidence that relevant homophones generate moderate incongruity. Study 1, involving 210 college students, demonstrated that homophonic ads resulted in more positive evaluations when controlling for age, gender, income, and education level. Study 2, with 330 Chinese adults, confirmed the positive effects of homophony and identified novelty and interest as mediators. Study 3 used eye-tracking with 65 students to show that homophones attract longer fixation durations, supporting the need for cognitive resources to resolve incongruity. Study 4, with 596 participants, revealed that novelty-seeking moderated the homophone effect. Studies 5 and 6, with 599 and 400 participants respectively, explored the moderating roles of consumption risk and ad appeal. Homophonic ads were rated more positively for low-risk products and non-authoritative appeals, but these effects disappeared for high-risk products and authoritative appeals.

These insights extend the application of incongruity theory to the realm of homophonic advertising, enriching our understanding of how linguistic creativity can enhance ad effectiveness. The findings also have practical implications for marketers, suggesting that homophony should be strategically employed, taking into account the target audience's novelty-seeking behavior, the risk associated with the product, and the nature of the ad appeal.

In conclusion, while homophony can enhance ad evaluations by increasing perceptions of novelty and humor, its effectiveness is contingent upon specific consumer traits and product characteristics. This study not only fills a theoretical gap in the literature on homophony and advertising but also offers actionable insights for practitioners aiming to leverage linguistic creativity in their marketing strategies.

Key words: homophone, incongruity, novelty seeking, perceived risk, ad appeal

中图分类号:

B849: F713.55

周寿江, 赵一晨, 张瑾瑜, 康琪(Khloe Qi KANG). (2025). 将错就“措”还是改“谐”归正? 谐音对消费者广告评价的影响. 心理学报, 57(2), 331-348.

ZHOU Shoujiang, ZHAO Yichen, ZHANG Jinyu, Khloe Qi KANG. (2025). Correcting missteps or embracing humor? The impact of homophony on consumer Ad evaluation. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 57(2), 331-348.

图/表 11

参考文献 62

[1]	Abolhasani, M., & Golrokhi, Z. (2022). Eat to the beat: Musical incongruity resolution in restaurant advertising. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 34(5), 567-591.
[2]	Assaker, G., Vinzi, V. E., & O’Connor, P. (2011). Examining the effect of novelty seeking, satisfaction, and destination image on tourists’ return pattern: A two factor, non-linear latent growth model. Tourism Management, 32(4), 890-901.
[3]	Baxter, S., Ilicic, J., & Kulczynski, A. (2017). You see Froot, you think fruit: Examining the effectiveness of pseudohomophone priming. European Journal of Marketing, 51(5/6), 885-902.
[4]	Beuckels, E., Hudders, L., Cauberghe, V., Bombeke, K., Durnez, W., & Morton, J. (2021). To fit in or to stand out? An eye- tracking study investigating online banner effectiveness in a media multitasking context. Journal of Advertising, 50(4), 461-478.
[5]	Campbell, M. C., & Goodstein, R. C. (2001). The moderating effect of perceived risk on consumers’ evaluations of product incongruity: Preference for the norm. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(3), 439-449.
[6]	Cloninger, C. (1994). Temperament and personality. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 4(2), 266-273. doi: 10.1016/0959-4388(94)90083-3 pmid: 8038587
[7]	Davis, D. F., & Herr, P. M. (2014). From bye to buy: Homophones as a phonological route to priming. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(6), 1063-1077.
[8]	De Cicco, R., Iacobucci, S., & Pagliaro, S. (2021). The effect of influencer-product fit on advertising recognition and the role of an enhanced disclosure in increasing sponsorship transparency. International Journal of Advertising, 40(5), 733-759.
[9]	Eisend, M. (2022). The influence of humor in advertising: Explaining the effects of humor in two-sided messages. Psychology & Marketing, 39(5), 962-973.
[10]	Evanschitzky, H., Iyer, G. R., Pillai, K. G., Kenning, P., & Schütte, R. (2015). Consumer trial, continuous use, and economic benefits of a retail service innovation: The case of the personal shopping assistant. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(3), 459-475.
[11]	Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). GPower 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods*, 39(2), 175-191. doi: 10.3758/bf03193146 pmid: 17695343
[12]	Fisher, R. J., & Dubé, L. (2005). Gender differences in responses to emotional advertising: A social desirability perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(4), 850-858.
[13]	Flavell, J. H. (1977). Cognitive development. Hoboken, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
[14]	Fleck, N., Korchia, M., & Le Roy, I. (2012). Celebrities in advertising: Looking for congruence or likability? Psychology & Marketing, 29(9), 651-662.
[15]	Förster, J., Marguc, J., & Gillebaart, M. (2010). Novelty categorization theory. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4(9), 736-755.
[16]	Goodman, G. S. (1980). Picture memory: How the action schema affects retention. Cognitive Psychology, 12(4), 473-495. pmid: 7418366
[17]	Halkias, G., & Kokkinaki, F. (2014). The degree of ad-brand incongruity and the distinction between schema-driven and stimulus-driven attitudes. Journal of Advertising, 43(4), 397-409.
[18]	Hayes, A. F. Ed. (2018). Introduction to mediation, Moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
[19]	Heckler, S. E., & Childers, T. L. (1992). The role of expectancy and relevancy in memory for verbal and visual information: What is incongruency? Journal of Consumer Research, 18(4), 475-492.
[20]	Hino, Y., Kusunose, Y., Lupker, S. J., & Jared, D. (2013). The processing advantage and disadvantage for homophones in lexical decision tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 39(2), 529-551.
[21]	Hirschman, E. C. (1980). Innovativeness, novelty seeking, and consumer creativity. Journal of Consumer Research, 7(3), 283-295.
[22]	Hoang, C., Knöferle, K., & Warlop, L. (2023). Using different advertising humor appeals to generate firm-level warmth and competence impressions. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 40(4), 741-759.
[23]	Ilicic, J., Baxter, S. M., & Kulczynski, A. (2018). To meet or meat? Homophones in advertising encourage judgments and behaviors in children. Journal of Advertising, 47(4), 378-394.
[24]	Ji, M., Wong, I. A., Eves, A., & Scarles, C. (2016). Food- related personality traits and the moderating role of novelty-seeking in food satisfaction and travel outcomes. Tourism Management, 57, 387-396.
[25]	Kim, C., Costello, F. J., & Lee, K. C. (2020). The unobserved heterogeneneous influence of gamification and novelty- seeking traits on consumers’ repurchase intention in the omnichannel retailing. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1664.
[26]	Kim, T., & Kim, O. (2018). Effects of ironic advertising on consumers’ attention, involvement and attitude. Journal of Marketing Communications, 24(1), 53-67.
[27]	Kulczynski, A., Ilicic, J., & Baxter, S. M. (2017). Pictures are grate! Examining the effectiveness of pictorial-based homophones on consumer judgments. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 34(1), 286-301.
[28]	Lee, E. -J., & Schumann, D. W. (2004). Explaining the special case of incongruity in advertising: Combining classic theoretical approaches. Marketing Theory, 4(1-2), 59-90.
[29]	Lee, E., Tinkham, S., & Edwards, S. M. (2005). The multidimensional structure of attitude toward the ad: Utilitarian, hedonic, and interestingness dimensions. In American Academy of Advertising. Conference. Proceedings (p. 58-66). American Academy of Advertising.
[30]	Lee, J., & Kim, H. (2022). How to survive in advertisement flooding: The effects of schema-product congruity and attribute relevance on advertisement attitude. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(2), 214-230.
[31]	Lee, Y. -A., Binder, K. S., Kim, J. -O., Pollatsek, A., & Rayner, K. (1999). Activation of phonological codes during eye fixations in reading. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 25(4), 948-964.
[32]	Lee, Y. H., & Mason, C. (1999). Responses to information incongruency in advertising: The role of expectancy, relevancy, and humor. Journal of Consumer Research, 26(2), 156-169.
[33]	Li, H., & Lo, H. -Y. (2014). Do you recognize its brand? The effectiveness of online in-stream video advertisements. Journal of Advertising, 44(3), 208-218.
[34]	Li, P., & Yip, M. C. (1996). Lexical ambiguity and context effects in spoken word recognition:Evidence from Chinese. In G. Cottrell (Ed.), Proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 228-232). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
[35]	Li, P., & Yip, M. C. (1998). Context effects and the processing of spoken homophones. Reading and Writing, 10(3-5), 223-243.
[36]	Li, Y., & Li, D. (2013). The influence of idiom modifications in advertising on consumers’ attitude towards advertising and perception of firm. Management Review, 25(8), 132-141.
	[李研, 李东进. (2013). 变异成语对消费者广告态度和企业感知的影响. 管理评论, 25(8), 132-141.]
[37]	Liu, S., Bi, X., & He, K. (2017). The impact of internet language copy on consumers’ attention and perceptions of the advertisement. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 49(12), 1590-1603.
	[刘世雄, 毕晓培, 贺凯彬. (2017). 网络语言文案对广告注意和感知的影响. 心理学报, 49(12), 1590-1603.]
[38]	Lukatela, G., & Turvey, M. T. (1994). Visual lexical access is initially phonological: I. Evidence from associative priming by words, homophones, and pseudohomophones. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 123(2), 107-128.
[39]	Ma, L., Ma, Y., He, X., Liu, H., & Zhang, J. (2019). Processing of Chinese homophonic two-part allegoric sayings: Effects of familiarity and homophone. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 51(12), 1306-1317. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2019.01306
	[马利军, 马云霄, 何晓清, 刘海涛, 张静宇. (2019). 相对熟悉度和同音线索在谐音型歇后语理解中的作用. 心理学报, 51(12), 1306-1317.] doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2019.01306
[40]	Mandler, G. (1982). The structure of value:Accounting for taste. In M. S. Clark, & S. T. Fiske (Eds.), Affect and cognition: The 17th annual Carnegie symposium on cognition (pp. 3-36). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[41]	Meyers-Levy, J., & Tybout, A. M. (1989). Schema congruity as a basis for product evaluation. Journal of Consumer Research, 16(1), 39-54.
[42]	Min Jung, J., Polyorat, K., & Kellaris, J. J. (2009). A cultural paradox in authority-based advertising. International Marketing Review, 26(6), 601-632.
[43]	Mitas, O., & Bastiaansen, M. (2018). Novelty: A mechanism of tourists’ enjoyment. Annals of Tourism Research, 72, 98-108.
[44]	Mohanty, P. (Pam), & Ratneshwar, S. (2016). Visual metaphors in Ads: The inverted-U effects of incongruity on processing pleasure and Ad effectiveness. Journal of Promotion Management, 22(3), 443-460.
[45]	Moore, R. S., Stammerjohan, C. A., & Coulter, R. A. (2005). Banner advertiser-web site context congruity and color effects on attention and attitudes. Journal of Advertising, 34(2), 71-84.
[46]	Noseworthy, T. J., Murray, K. B., & Di Muro, F. (2018). When two wrongs make a right: Using conjunctive enablers to enhance evaluations for extremely incongruent new products. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(6), 1379-1396.
[47]	Pérez, A., & Rodríguez del Bosque, I. (2015). How customer novelty seeking influences customer CSR perceptions. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 33(4), 486-507.
[48]	Qu, Q. Q., Liu, W. L., & Li, X. S. (2018). The functional unit of phonological encoding in Chinese spoken production: study on phonemes. Advances in Psychological Sciences, 26(9), 1535-1544.
	[屈青青, 刘维琳, 李兴珊. (2018). 汉语言语产生的语音加工单元——基于音位的研究. 心理科学进展, 26(9), 1535-1544.] doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2018.01535
[49]	Schweizer, T. S. (2006). The psychology of novelty-seeking, creativity and innovation: Neurocognitive aspects within a work-psychological perspective. Creativity and Innovation Management, 15(2), 164-172.
[50]	Siakaluk, P. D., Pexman, P. M., Sears, C. R., & Owen, W. J. (2007). Multiple meanings are not necessarily a disadvantage in semantic processing: Evidence from homophone effects in semantic categorisation. Language & Cognitive Processes, 22(3), 453-467.
[51]	Spiller, S. A., Fitzsimons, G. J., Lynch, J. G., Jr., & McClelland, G. H. (2013). Spotlights, floodlights, and the magic number zero: Simple effects tests in moderated regression. Journal of Marketing Research, 50(2), 277-288.
[52]	Sung, B., Hartley, N., Vanman, E., & Phau, I. (2016). How can the word “NEW” evoke consumers’ experiences of novelty and interest? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 31, 166-173.
[53]	Sung, B., Vanman, E. J., & Hartley, N. (2022). Revisiting (dis)fluency: Metacognitive difficulty as a novelty cue that evokes feeling-of-interest. Psychology & Marketing, 39(8), 1451-1466.
[54]	Taylor, N., & Noseworthy, T. J. (2020). Compensating for innovation: Extreme product incongruity encourages consumers to affirm unrelated consumption schemas. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 30(1), 77-95.
[55]	Van den Bos, W., & Hertwig, R. (2017). Adolescents display distinctive tolerance to ambiguity and to uncertainty during risky decision making. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 40962.
[56]	Wang, L., & Dong, M. (2022). Does “male beauty” really work: The impact of male endorsements on female consumers’ evaluation of female-gender-imaged product. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(2), 192-204.
	[王丽丽, 董梦璐. (2022). “美男诱惑”真的奏效吗:男性代言女性产品对女性消费者产品评价的影响. 心理学报, 54(2), 192-204.] doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00192
[57]	Wang, Z., Mao, H., Li, Y. J., & Liu, F. (2017). Smile big or not? Effects of smile intensity on perceptions of warmth and competence. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(5), 787-805.
[58]	Yip, M. C. W., & Zhai, M. (2018a). Context effects and spoken word recognition of Chinese: An eye-tracking study. Cognitive Science, 42(S4), 1134-1153.
[59]	Yip, M. C. W., & Zhai, M. (2018b). Processing homophones interactively: Evidence from eye-movement data. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 9812.
[60]	Yoon, H. J. (2013). Understanding schema incongruity as a process in advertising: Review and future recommendations. Journal of Marketing Communications, 19(5), 360-376.
[61]	Zhan, J., Yu, H., & Zhou, X. (2013). fMRI evidence for the interaction between orthography and phonology in reading Chinese compound words. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 753. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00753 pmid: 24319418
[62]	Ziegler, J. C., Tan, L. H., Perry, C., & Montant, M. (2000). Phonology matters: The phonological frequency effect in written Chinese. Psychological Science, 11(3), 234-238. pmid: 11273409

序号	组别	美观度	合理性	失谐	信息寻求	解决难度	失谐解决
实验2(N = 101)	谐音	5.76 (1.11)	5.63 (0.81)	4.31 (1.50)^*	5.49 (1.19)^*	3.69 (1.60)^*	5.65 (0.88)
实验2(N = 101)	规范	5.71 (1.07)	5.81 (0.72)	3.50 (1.83)^*	4.87 (1.73)^*	3.04 (1.40)^*	5.57 (0.97)
实验3(N = 150)	谐音: 水果	5.69 (1.12)	5.77 (1.07)	4.05 (1.91)^*	4.84 (1.67)^*	3.51 (1.83)^*	5.58 (0.89)
	规范: 水果	5.56 (1.14)	5.49 (1.05)	3.43 (1.80)^*	4.28 (1.78)^*	2.96 (1.48)^*	5.77 (1.00)
	谐音: 运动自行车	5.61 (1.08)	5.84 (0.90)	3.99 (2.05)^*	4.71 (1.77)^*	3.71 (1.70)^*	5.61 (0.94)
	规范: 运动自行车	5.52 (1.16)	5.64 (1.09)	3.35 (1.83)^*	4.12 (1.82)^*	3.17 (1.55)^*	5.38 (1.08)
	谐音: 止咳糖浆	4.92 (1.39)	5.23 (1.48)	4.64 (1.62)^*	5.31 (1.52)^*	4.21 (1.49)^*	5.51 (1.04)
	规范: 止咳糖浆	4.76 (1.42)	5.12 (1.36)	4.07 (1.39)^*	4.76 (1.41)^*	3.69 (1.52)^*	5.29 (1.22)
实验4(N = 150)	谐音	5.63 (1.15)	5.44 (1.28)	4.44 (1.33)^**	5.67 (1.34)^*	3.56 (1.63)^*	5.63 (0.96)
实验4(N = 150)	规范	5.29 (1.32)	5.35 (1.15)	3.84 (1.41)^**	5.09 (1.44)^*	3.00 (1.31)^*	5.45 (1.07)
实验5(N = 146)	谐音	4.84 (1.24)	5.04 (1.15)	4.07 (1.65)^*	5.26 (1.58)^*	4.34 (1.61)^*	4.82 (1.19)
实验5(N = 146)	规范	5.04 (1.22)	5.22 (1.10)	3.53 (1.56)^*	4.71 (1.53)^*	3.78 (1.59)^*	5.06 (1.08)
实验6(N = 149)	谐音(权威)	5.05 (1.03)	5.07 (1.47)	4.30 (1.64)^**	5.18 (1.63)^*	4.20 (1.62)^***	5.24 (0.97)
	规范(权威)	5.27 (1.14)	5.32 (1.39)	3.39 (1.75)^**	4.61 (1.74)^*	3.00 (1.60)^***	5.39 (0.99)
	谐音(不权威)	5.51 (1.24)	5.03 (1.39)	4.54 (1.82)^*	5.15 (1.30)^*	4.16 (1.66)^*	5.39 (1.07)
	规范(不权威)	5.64 (1.02)	5.29 (1.12)	3.95 (1.61)^*	4.60 (1.63)^*	3.64 (1.42)^*	5.57 (0.72)

序号	组别	美观度	合理性	失谐	信息寻求	解决难度	失谐解决
实验2(N = 101)	谐音	5.76 (1.11)	5.63 (0.81)	4.31 (1.50)^*	5.49 (1.19)^*	3.69 (1.60)^*	5.65 (0.88)
实验2(N = 101)	规范	5.71 (1.07)	5.81 (0.72)	3.50 (1.83)^*	4.87 (1.73)^*	3.04 (1.40)^*	5.57 (0.97)
实验3(N = 150)	谐音: 水果	5.69 (1.12)	5.77 (1.07)	4.05 (1.91)^*	4.84 (1.67)^*	3.51 (1.83)^*	5.58 (0.89)
	规范: 水果	5.56 (1.14)	5.49 (1.05)	3.43 (1.80)^*	4.28 (1.78)^*	2.96 (1.48)^*	5.77 (1.00)
	谐音: 运动自行车	5.61 (1.08)	5.84 (0.90)	3.99 (2.05)^*	4.71 (1.77)^*	3.71 (1.70)^*	5.61 (0.94)
	规范: 运动自行车	5.52 (1.16)	5.64 (1.09)	3.35 (1.83)^*	4.12 (1.82)^*	3.17 (1.55)^*	5.38 (1.08)
	谐音: 止咳糖浆	4.92 (1.39)	5.23 (1.48)	4.64 (1.62)^*	5.31 (1.52)^*	4.21 (1.49)^*	5.51 (1.04)
	规范: 止咳糖浆	4.76 (1.42)	5.12 (1.36)	4.07 (1.39)^*	4.76 (1.41)^*	3.69 (1.52)^*	5.29 (1.22)
实验4(N = 150)	谐音	5.63 (1.15)	5.44 (1.28)	4.44 (1.33)^**	5.67 (1.34)^*	3.56 (1.63)^*	5.63 (0.96)
实验4(N = 150)	规范	5.29 (1.32)	5.35 (1.15)	3.84 (1.41)^**	5.09 (1.44)^*	3.00 (1.31)^*	5.45 (1.07)
实验5(N = 146)	谐音	4.84 (1.24)	5.04 (1.15)	4.07 (1.65)^*	5.26 (1.58)^*	4.34 (1.61)^*	4.82 (1.19)
实验5(N = 146)	规范	5.04 (1.22)	5.22 (1.10)	3.53 (1.56)^*	4.71 (1.53)^*	3.78 (1.59)^*	5.06 (1.08)
实验6(N = 149)	谐音(权威)	5.05 (1.03)	5.07 (1.47)	4.30 (1.64)^**	5.18 (1.63)^*	4.20 (1.62)^***	5.24 (0.97)
	规范(权威)	5.27 (1.14)	5.32 (1.39)	3.39 (1.75)^**	4.61 (1.74)^*	3.00 (1.60)^***	5.39 (0.99)
	谐音(不权威)	5.51 (1.24)	5.03 (1.39)	4.54 (1.82)^*	5.15 (1.30)^*	4.16 (1.66)^*	5.39 (1.07)
	规范(不权威)	5.64 (1.02)	5.29 (1.12)	3.95 (1.61)^*	4.60 (1.63)^*	3.64 (1.42)^*	5.57 (0.72)