Ideal self-image congruency as a motivator for smoking-The moderating effects of personality traits

Abstract

A content analysis showed that cigarette advertising in Taiwan from June 2001 to May 2003 portrayed smokers as masculine, adventurous, pleasure-loving, and sociable. A survey of 1,490 high school students further indicated that smokers and nonsmokers differ in the congruency between their ideal self-images and the perceived smoker image on these 4 image dimensions. The self–smoker image congruency was greater for smokers than for nonsmokers and was positively associated with attitudes toward cigarette advertising Most important, this study demonstrated that participants’ personality traits moderated self–smoker image congruency effects on smoking attitudes. Implications and suggestions for antismoking campaigns are discussed.