Miscomprehension Rates for Prescription Drug Advertisements

Differences in directions that increased attention paid to the ad, compared to other editorial material, decreased incorrect responses as measured by the true-false test but increased the percentage of open-ended incorrect statements about the product.

Abstract

Abstract A study of 1509 individuals assessed the degree to which television and magazine advertisements for two fictitious drugs were miscomprehended. About 5 to 14 percent of the open-ended responses were mistaken impressions about the products, many reflecting inaccurate interpretations of the advertising messages. The pictorial aspects of the ad appeared to have generated many of these mistaken beliefs. As measured by true-false tests, 17 to 20 percent of the questions measuring intended copy points were answered incorrectly, although 28 to 36 percent of the questions were answered by a “don't know” response. Analyses of the individual questions indicate that incorrect interpretations of the ad were influenced by commonly held misconceptions. Differences in directions that increased attention paid to the ad, compared to other editorial material, decreased incorrect responses as measured by the true-false test but increased the percentage of open-ended incorrect statements about the product. It is poss...