Parent-like spokesperson for campaigning an anti-plastic straw movement to young adults: Is it effective?

Abstract

Parental communication is still relatively meaningful in Asian families with hierarchical, vertical, and authoritative relationships. Meanwhile, children's pro-environmental behaviour in emerging Asian nations tends to be passive, leading to a need for intervention from the closest parties, often the parent, whose familial role in green communication has not been examined. This study uses social learning theory to examine the interplay of parent-like spokespeople and message appeals in affecting young adults' cognitive and emotional responses, which is expected to influence the ad liking and believability of green advertisements and switching intention to green products, such as eco-friendly straws. A laboratory experiment was conducted with 240 subjects. The results showed that the frame of a father-like figure conveying a hope appeal generated the greatest enthusiasm and argument quality for young adults. Mother-like figures speaking a fearful message frame were the best generator for young adults' anger and threat appraisal. Ad liking was significantly impacted only by a mother-like spokesperson who spoke a fearful appeal mediated by anger and a father-like spokesperson who delivered a hope appeal mediated by argument quality. Young adults' willingness to switch to eco-friendly straws was indirectly influenced by the interaction effect of a mother-like spokesperson and fear appeal type mediated by ad believability.