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. (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.

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