American Academy of Advertising's 2025 Annual Conference

As concerns over data privacy intensify, understanding consumer perceptions of data consent mechanisms is becoming increasingly important. This study investigates the influence of message framing and regulatory focus alignment on consumer responses to data consent disclosures in the context of online behavioral advertising (OBA). Drawing on Psychological Reactance Theory (PRT), the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), and Regulatory Focus Fit Theory (RFT), we conducted two experiments. Study 1 revealed that a mismatch between message framing and individuals' chronic regulatory focus diminished perceived control, heightened perceived manipulative intent (conceptual persuasion knowledge: CPK), reduced perceived fairness (attitudinal persuasion knowledge: APK), and led to more negative evaluations of targeted ads. Study 2 further confirmed these effects by situationally priming regulatory focus, demonstrating that mismatched framing and induced regulatory focus similarly reduced perceived control and triggered CPK-APK, resulting in unfavorable evaluations of targeted ads. These findings emphasize the importance of aligning consent message strategies with consumers’ regulatory focus to mitigate resistance and ensure informed, voluntary consent, providing critical implications for scholars, marketers, and policymakers.  Please note: Speakers are automatically alphabetized by last name in SCHED. The speaker order here does not necessarily reflect the true authorship order of the presentation.