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Source Credibility in Consumer-Generated Advertising in Youtube: The Moderating Role of Personality

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Abstract

This research investigates the effects of the big five consumer personality traits on perceptions of source credibility related to consumer-generated advertising (CGA). An online experiment with 175 participants was conducted with viewing of a YouTube video in which source credibility (as firm-generated or consumer-generated) was manipulated. Findings show participants viewed CGA as more credible than firm-generated advertising. CGA positively influenced attitudes toward the ad and brand for consumers with low openness, and positively influenced opinion giving for consumers with high extraversion and low neuroticism. Also, a significant main effect of neuroticism was found. Theoretical and practical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Advertising & Public Relations, Hongik University, B303-1, 2639, Sejong-ro, Jochiwon-eup, Sejong-si, 30016, South Korea

    Jin Kyun Lee

  2. Department of Journalism, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, WI, 54901, USA

    Shu-Yueh Lee & Sara Steffes Hansen

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  1. Jin Kyun Lee
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  2. Shu-Yueh Lee
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Correspondence to Jin Kyun Lee or Shu-Yueh Lee.

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Author Jin Kyun Lee declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Author Shu-Yueh Lee declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Author Sara Steffes Hansen declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Lee, J.K., Lee, SY. & Hansen, S.S. Source Credibility in Consumer-Generated Advertising in Youtube: The Moderating Role of Personality. Curr Psychol 36, 849–860 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9474-7

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