DTC Advertising and Perceived Importance of Illness: Two-sided Message and The moderating Role of DTCA Skepticism

To better understand consumers' coping mechanisms of DTC advertising and to address socially important health issues, the current study examined whether perceived importance of sleep disorders is influenced by DTC advertising. Two-sided message order and DTCA skepticism were hypothesized as predictors of the perceived importance. The results showed that there is interaction between order effects and DTCA skepticism. Theoretical, practical, and regulatory implications are discussed.