Cited by 2,205Psychology of Social InfluenceMarketing and Advertising StrategiesDigital Marketing and Social Media

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The Persuasiveness of Source Credibility: A Critical Review of Five Decades' Evidence

Pornpitakpan, Chanthika·2004·Journal of Applied Social Psychology

DOI 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02547.x

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Abstract

This paper reviews the empirical evidence of the effect of credibility of the message source on persuasion over a span of 5 decades, primarily to come up with recommendations for practitioners as to when to use a high‐ or a low‐credibility source and secondarily to identify areas for future research. The main effect studies of source credibility on persuasion seem to indicate the superiority of a high‐credibility source over a low‐credibility one. Interaction effect studies, however, show source credibility to be a liability under certain conditions. The variables found to interact with source credibility are categorized into 5 categories: source, message, channel, receiver, and destination variables. The most heavily researched variables have been the message and receiver variables. Implications for marketers/advertisers and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Background
The Complexity of Leading in Sport: Examining the Role of Domain Expertise in Assessing Leader Credibility and Prototypicality
Swanson, S., & Kent, A. (2014) · Journal of Sport Management · doi:10.1123/jsm.2012-0253 · Cited by 43
“, 1969; Ohanian, 1990; McCroskey & Young, 1981, McCroskey & Teven, 1999), there is general consensus that two dimensions are related to expertise and trustworthiness (Pornpitakpan, 2004).”
Background
Assessing the Efficacy of Communication Interventions for Shifting Public Perceptions of Park Benefits
Weiler, B., Moyle, B., Wolf, I. D., de Bie, K., & Torland, M. (2016) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/0047287516646472 · Cited by 36
“The perception of the source of communication as being credible is also central to persuasion and tourism communication (Pornpitakpan 2004; Veasna, Wu, and Huang 2013).”
Background
Whom Do We Trust on Social Policy Interventions?
Osman, M., Fenton, N., Pilditch, T. D., Lagnado, D. A., & Neil, M. (2018) · Basic and Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/01973533.2018.1469986 · Cited by 36
“By expert we mean a speaker who is perceived to be capable of making correct and informed assertions (Pornpitakpan, 2004).”
Background
What Influences Audience Susceptibility to Fake Health News: An Experimental Study Using a Dual Model of Information Processing in Credibility Assessment
Vu, H. T., & Chen, Y. (2023) · Health Communication · doi:10.1080/10410236.2023.2206177 · Cited by 35
“A review of five decades of source credibility research has generally pointed to the utility of high-credibility sources over low-credibility sources (Pornpitakpan, 2004).”
Background
Factors affecting continued purchase intention in live streaming shopping: parasocial relationships and shared communication networks
Ko, H. (2023) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2023.2252099 · Cited by 42
“Many studies have reported that credibility is a key factor a ﬀ ecting an individual ’ s judgment of whether they should accept a message (Breves et al. 2019; Ismagilova et al. 2020; Pornpitakpan 2004; Weismueller et al. 2020).”
The effectiveness of influencer endorsements for smart technology products: the role of follower number, expertise domain and trust propensity
Kim, T., & Yoon, H. J. (2023) · Journal of Product & Brand Management · doi:10.1108/jpbm-03-2023-4376 · Cited by 48
Differentiating Cueing From Reasoning in Agenda-Setting Effects
Pingree, R. J., & Stoycheff, E. (2013) · Journal of Communication · doi:10.1111/jcom.12051 · Cited by 35
“In explaining the strength of cueing effects, past research typically focuses on subdimensions of source credibility such as perceived expertise, honesty, and attractiveness (Pornpitakpan, 2004; Reinhard & Sporer, 2010).”
Background
Perceived Source Credibility and Advertising Persuasiveness: An Investigation of Moderators and Psychological Processes
Nan, X. (2013) · Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising · doi:10.1080/10641734.2013.787579 · Cited by 36
Perceived influence on behavior of user-generated content on social network sites: An empirical application in the hotel sector
Crespo, A., Martín, H. S., & Mogollón, J. M. H. (2014) · Revista española de investigación de marketing · doi:10.1016/j.reimke.2014.09.001 · Cited by 35
“Additionally, on the basis of the theoretical framework developed by Pornpitakpan (2004), we analyze the interaction effects between these factors, a question that has been scarcely studied in previous literature.”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Place Familiarity and Attachment: Moderators of The Relationship Between Readers’ Credibility Assessment of A Travel Blog and Review Acceptance
Tan, W.-K., & Chang, Y.-G. (2015) · Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing · doi:10.1080/10548408.2015.1064059 · Cited by 36
“An article perceived to be credible has a stronger persuasive effect and generates more attitude change than less credible articles (Pornpitakpan, 2004).”
Background
Consumer self‐construal and trust as determinants of the reactance to a recommender advice
Aljukhadar, M., Trifts, V., & Sénécal, S. (2017) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21017 · Cited by 35
Exploring the Role of Messenger Effects and Feedback Frames in Promoting Uptake of Energy-Efficient Technologies
Hafner, R. J., Elmes, D. G., & Read, D. (2017) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-017-9717-2 · Cited by 40
The Impact of Relational Characteristics on Consumer Responses to Word of Mouth on Social Networking Sites
Keyzer, F. D., Dens, N., & Pelsmacker, P. D. (2019) · International Journal of Electronic Commerce · doi:10.1080/10864415.2018.1564551 · Cited by 37
“For example, people often seek advice from experts because the experts are expected to possess more knowledge about a certain topic and be able to provide accurate information [62].”
Background
Mortality Reporting and Rumor Generation: An Assessment of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication following Hurricane María in Puerto Rico
Andrade, E. L., Barrett, N. D., Edberg, M. C., Rivera, M. I., Latinovic, L., Seeger, M. W., Goldman-Hawes, A., & Santos‐Burgoa, C. (2020) · Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research · doi:10.30658/jicrcr.3.1.2 · Cited by 35
“Given the importance of public perception in disasters and the potential risks introduced by information vacuums, CERC planning and delivery should incorporate mitigation of any gaps between public perceptions and facts (Peters et al., 1997; Pornpitakpan, 2004; Ruggiero & Vos, 2015).”
Background
Responsive and Responsible: Customizing Management Responses to Online Traveler Reviews
Zhang, X., Yang, Y., Qiao, S., & Zhang, Z. (2020) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/0047287520971046 · Cited by 35
“*p < 0 .1 , * *p < 0 .0 5, * ** p < 0 .0 1. attitudes and behavior (Pornpitakpan 2004; Ireland and Pennebaker 2010).”
Social Engineering in Social Networking Sites: The Art of Impersonation
Algarni, A., Xu, Y., & Chan, T. (2014) · IEEE International Conference on Services Computing · doi:10.1109/scc.2014.108 · Cited by 35
“induce more persuasion toward the acceptance of the message than a low-credibility one [9].”
Background
Influence strategy efficacy in supplier–distributor relationships
Payan, J. M., & Nevin, J. R. (2005) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2005.10.002 · Cited by 35
Wear in or wear out: how consumers respond to repetitive influencer marketing
Geng, R., Chen, X., & Wang, S. (2024) · Internet Research · doi:10.1108/intr-01-2022-0075 · Cited by 34
Beauty and the brands: the interplay of celebrity attractiveness, brand envy, and social comparison in shaping masstige brand passion in hospitality
Gilal, R. G., Gilal, F. G., & Gilal, N. G. (2023) · Journal of Brand Management · doi:10.1057/s41262-023-00338-5 · Cited by 36
“…and behaviors is determined by attributes of endorsers like trustworthiness, attractiveness, and competence/expertise (Hovland and Weiss 1951; Pornpitakpan 2004; Schimmelpfennig and Hunt 2020), our research adds to the SCT by demonstrating how attractive celebrity endorsers in the field of…”
Assessing the perceived credibility of deepfakes: The impact of system-generated cues and video characteristics
Jin, X., Zhang, Z., Gao, B., Gao, S., Zhou, W., Yu, N., & Wang, G. (2023) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448231199664 · Cited by 38
“Pornpitakpan (2004) reviewed five decades of source credibility studies, and, unsurprisingly, found that almost all of them proved high-credibility sources to be more convincing than low-credibility sources.”
The power of respect for authority and empathy – Leveraging non-cognitive theoretical constructs to trigger environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour
Zhu, O. Y., Li, H., Grün, B., & Dolničar, S. (2023) · Annals of Tourism Research · doi:10.1016/j.annals.2023.103681 · Cited by 34
Discrediting in a Message Board Forum: The Effects of Social Support and Attacks on Expertise and Trustworthiness
Hughes, M. G., Griffith, J. A., Zeni, T. A., Arsenault, M. L., Cooper, O. D., Johnson, G., Hardy, J. H., Connelly, S., & Mumford, M. D. (2014) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/jcc4.12077 · Cited by 33
“In general, credible sources, whether expert or trustworthy, are thought to be more persuasive than less credible sources (Hovland & Weiss, 1951; McGinnies & Ward, 1980; Pornpitakpan, 2004).”
BackgroundInfluential
Source Reliability and the Conjunction Fallacy
Jarvstad, A., & Hahn, U. (2011) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/j.1551-6709.2011.01170.x · Cited by 34
How a Smile Can Make a Difference:Enhancing the Persuasive Appeal Of Celebrity Endorsers
Ilicic, J., Kulczynski, A., & Baxter, S. M. (2016) · Journal of Advertising Research · doi:10.2501/jar-2016-003 · Cited by 34
Analysis of Linguistic Complexity in Professional and Citizen Media
Tolochko, P., & Boomgaarden, H. G. (2017) · Journalism Studies · doi:10.1080/1461670x.2017.1305285 · Cited by 38
Using Frames to Make Scientific Communication More Effective
Druckman, J. N., & Lupia, A. (2017) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190497620.013.38 · Cited by 34
Data-centered persuasion: Nudging user's prosocial behavior and designing social innovation
Shin, Y., & Kim, J. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.009 · Cited by 34
Information Source Credibility and Job Seekers’ Intention to Apply: The Mediating Role of Brands
Gupta, S., & Saini, G. K. (2018) · Global Business Review · doi:10.1177/0972150918778910 · Cited by 38
“The source credibility framework proposes that credible sources of information are more persuasive in both changing attitudes and gaining behavioural compliance (Eisend, 2004; Pornpitakpan, 2004) than non-credible sources.”
Background
Nudging the jetset to offset: voluntary carbon offsetting and the limits to nudging
Tyers, R. (2018) · Journal of Sustainable Tourism · doi:10.1080/09669582.2018.1494737 · Cited by 34
“In marketing, the use of endorsements is common – the employment of celebrities, professional associations and/or public institutions is known to be influential on the purchasing decisions of consumers (for a review, see Pornpitakpan, 2004).”
Background
Effect of Celebrity Endorser Through Social Media on Organic Cosmetic Purchasing Intention Mediated with Attitude
Murwaningtyas, F. S. D., Harisudin, M., & Irianto, H. (2020) · KnE Social Sciences · doi:10.18502/kss.v4i3.6393 · Cited by 41
“It is also in line with Pornpitakpan finding that endorser's attractiveness is related positively to the consumers' purchase intention [22].”
Result
Humanoid Robots – Artificial. Human-like. Credible? Empirical Comparisons of Source Credibility Attributions Between Humans, Humanoid Robots, and Non-human-like Devices
Finkel, M., & Krämer, N. C. (2022) · International Journal of Social Robotics · doi:10.1007/s12369-022-00879-w · Cited by 42
“With regard to research on interpersonal communication it has been shown that a credible source’s information can have a strong impact on people’s opinions and behavioral intentions and as a consequence supports trust-building [2].”
Background
Towards an Understanding of Online Travellers’ Acceptance of Consumer-Generated Media for Travel Planning: Integrating Technology Acceptance and Source Credibility Factors
Ayeh, J. K., Au, N., & Law, R. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-36309-2_22 · Cited by 34

Authors: Pornpitakpan, C.
Affiliations: Monash University Malaysia (MY)
Corresponding author: Pornpitakpan, Chanthika
Venue: Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2004-02
Volume: 34
Issue: 2
Pages: 243-281
ISSN: 0021-9029 (ISSN-L)
1559-1816
DOI: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02547.x
OpenAlex: W2157392583
Cited by: 2,205
References: 139
Citations by year: 2026: 180 · 2025: 183 · 2024: 173 · 2023: 184 · 2022: 185 · 2021: 173 · 2020: 187 · 2019: 135 · 2018: 99 · 2017: 119 · 2016: 90 · 2015: 88 · 2014: 84 · 2013: 84 · 2012: 50
FWCI: 69.70
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 911 d)
Locations: Journal of Applied Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychology of Social Influence
Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Digital Marketing and Social Media
Keywords: source credibility, persuasion, interaction effects, message characteristics, receiver characteristics, communication channels, advertising, marketing communication

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The Persuasiveness of Source Credibility: A Critical Review of Five Decades' Evidence

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