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The effect of stress on compliance with health-related advertising

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  • Bi, Sheng
  • Li, Menglin

Abstract

Given the growing importance of health-related advertising, in our research we examined how the persuasiveness of health-related advertisements is affected by a new antecedent: stress, a universal and draining experience. A series of five studies (including one survey and four experiments) revealed that people are more willing to comply with health-related advertising when they feel stressed. This is because stress increases consumers’ tendency to avoid risk, which consequently prompts their compliance with health-related advertising. Moreover, consumers’ promotion focus was found to be a boundary condition for the effect of stress on compliance with health-related advertising, with the effect being weaker among promotion-focused consumers. Our findings not only reveal a novel variable that could promote health compliance but also suggest what marketers should do to bolster the effectiveness of health-related advertising.

Suggested Citation

  • Bi, Sheng & Li, Menglin, 2025. "The effect of stress on compliance with health-related advertising," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:193:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001511
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115328
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    References listed on IDEAS

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