Abstract:
This dissertation explores the mediating role of attitude towards the advertisement
and attitude towards the brand, and moderating role of self-monitoring and message
argument in the relationships between perceived humor in the advertisement and
purchase intention of the customer. Survey data was collected from 617 individuals
comprising of data gathered from three types of humor after showing advertisements of
each type to the respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling,
and macro developed by Preacher and Hays (2008) have been used to test moderation and
mediation effect in the hypothesized model. A good fit between the data and tested model
was observed. As predicted, purchase intention was positively related to perceived humor
and full mediation effect has been found. However for moderation of self-monitoring the
findings were distinctive but the moderation effects of message arguments have not been
supported by the data in all the three types. Findings provide media agencies with an
insight into the audience emotional consequences in exposure to the different types of
humor used in advertisements. Findings are particularly salient for national and
multinational media agencies in Pakistan as well in the other parts of the world. This is
one of the first studies to provide empirical support for the relationships between
perceived humor and purchase intention in Western and non-Western (Pakistani) context
considering the types of humor by using mediating and moderating variables in this
association.
