Native advertising credibility perceptions and ethical attitudes: An exploratory study among adolescents in the United States, Turkey and Israel

Abstract

The current exploratory research aims to understand adolescent perceptions of credibility and ethical attitudes toward online native advertising (NA), in conjunction with persuasion knowledge, and explore how these attitudes might differ in three different cultures: U.S., Turkey and Israel. A survey employing a NA article was administered among adolescents (n = 610). The manipulation examined their ethical attitudes and credibility perceptions toward the NA articles before and after the persuasion knowledge. Findings strengthen research assumptions that most adolescents have encountered NA without recognizing it as persuasive communication. Adolescents find NA articles less credible and less ethical when they are informed about it. Moreover, results show that adolescents in general have a tendency to accept NA as a moral practice, while findings point to significant differences in responses moderated by country of origin.