Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The Relationship between Neuroticism, Social Media, and Marketing Susceptibility

Publication Date

Spring 2024

College

Sciences and Mathematics, College of

Department

Psychological Science, Department of

BURS Faculty Advisor

Patrick Morse

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

Social media has become a very important aspect of our lives in many areas. What once served as a simple way to connect with those around you has now evolved into a space much bigger. Amongst other things, social media has managed to have increasing success in appealing to the consumer gaze, suggesting that social media has the ability to influence an individual’s interests and preferences with little to no effort (Dodoo & Wen, 2021). When coupled with feelings of negative affectivity, however, we begin to see a decrease in perception of how applicable the ads are, but an increase in perceived invasiveness (Dodoo & Wen, 2021). This study aimed to further the research on whether neurotic tendencies are predictive of susceptibility to marketing strategies. Participants were undergraduate students at Belmont University who answered questions related to their personality, social media tendencies, and perceived effectiveness of marketing. Results indicate a positive relationship between neuroticism and frequency of social media use, but a negative relationship between neuroticism and susceptibility to marketing. Additionally, neuroticism was found to mediate the relationship between social media use and marketing susceptibility. This suggests that, regardless of the amount of exposure to social media they have had, an individual’s personality may evoke an increased sense of privacy loss and limit the success of general marketing strategies. Furthermore, it may offer marketing companies a glimpse into how they can alter their approach to better appeal to consumers.

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