Product‐harm science communication: The halo effect and its moderators

• Published in: IDEAS Working Paper Series from RePEc Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 1002 - 1027
• Main Authors: Untilov, Olga, Ganassali, Stéphane
• Format: Journal Article Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.09.2020; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Wiley
• Subjects: Business administration; Communication; Communication (Thought Transfer); consumer beliefs; Consumers; Halo effect; Humanities and Social Sciences; product‐harm science communication; Respondents
• ISSN: 0022-0078; 1745-6606
• DOI: 10.1111/joca.12314

Science communication on a product‐harm situation aims to create awareness on the product's potential impacts for consumers. However, consumers tend to overestimate the information provided, due to possible halo effects. Here we designed a contextual model of halo development including individual and message characteristics detected in the literature as potential moderators. Our experimental study, based on a sample of 3,766 European respondents, evaluates these halo moderators in the context of a product‐harm science communication. The results reveal a stronger halo effect on consumers' beliefs when the focal topic is considered as more important (health vs. ethics) and simultaneously when the source of information is more credible (official vs. non‐official). Highly involved consumers are also subject to greater halo effects. Suggested implications mainly focus on the need to consider potential amplifying halo effects and on the importance of responding to a product‐harm communication via a very accurate communication approach.