Ad Intrusiveness, Loss of Control, and Stress: A Psychophysiological Study

As Internet advertising has become increasingly important in supporting free content, advertisers are trying to find novel ad formats (such as timed pop-up ads) to compete for users’ attention. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the effects of advertising characteristics on users’ emotions. To this end, we examine the effects of the ad characteristics perceptual salience and interference with user control on users’ perceived attentional and behavioral control, attentional and behavioral intrusiveness, and ultimately, stress. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model and report the results of a preliminary study that triangulates self-report measures with objective measures of psychophysiological activation. Preliminary data from a study using 36 participants indicates that the ad characteristics perceptual salience and interference with user control influence users’ perceived attentional and behavioral control. Preliminary analysis of facial electromyography data also suggests an influence of ad characteristics on affective responses