Cognitive and affective responses to music in ads and service environments

This thesis examines the impact of music upon a range of dependent variables within advertising and service environment contexts. Chapter 1 identifies the structural outline of the thesis and introduces key theoretical concepts. Chapters 2 and 3 review previous empirical studies focusing upon cognitive and affective responses to music in advertising and service environments, and identify the positive influence of musical congruity upon consumers. Chapters 4-8 involve original experimental studies. The results of research reported in Chapter 4 show how slow-tempo music produces higher levels of ad recall than fast-tempo music, while musical presence reduces ad recall. Chapter 5 describes a study in which three music timbres are superimposed over a no-music version of another ad. Results reveal positive main effects of timbre congruity upon ad recall and affective responses. Chapter 6 describes a study that superimposes congruous dance and incongruous classical music over ads for a university. Results show how dance music enhances the attractiveness of the university, while classical music has the opposite effect Musical presence inhibits or enhances ad recall depending upon its congruity. The results of research reported in Chapter 7 show how an incongruous ad narrator reduces the attractiveness of the advertised university, desire to apply to study at the university, and recall. The results of research reported in Chapter 8 show that perceived wait duration is related positively to musical tempo, and related negatively to musical liking, while musical presence reduces mean perceived duration estimates. Slow-tempo music produces more positive affective responses than fast-tempo music. Musical presence enhances positive affective response with low crowd density, but diminishes it with high crowd density. Chapter 9 highlights the contribution of the thesis to the existing literature, and proposes directions for future research, particularly regarding the potential benefits of using purposeful musical incongruity in advertising.