An advertisement for a cosmetic product, promoted by a famous superstar, includes _______ a characteristic of attitude that may affect change of attitude.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Attractiveness
-
Attractiveness refers to how appealing, charming, or popular a person is (like a movie star or sports icon).
-
When a superstar promotes a cosmetic product, people are more influenced by the celebrity’s charm, looks, and fame — not by their expertise in skincare or beauty science.
Why Credibility is not the best answer here:
-
Credibility is about trustworthiness and expertise — e.g., a dermatologist endorsing a skincare product.
-
In this case, the superstar is likely not an expert in cosmetics or dermatology.
-
Therefore, the change in attitude is not due to their credibility, but rather their celebrity appeal (i.e., attractiveness).
NCERT: Source characteristics : Source credibility and attractiveness are two features that affect attitude change. Attitudes are more likely to change when the message comes from a highly credible source rather than from a low-credible source. For example, adults who are planning to buy a laptop are more convinced by a computer engineer who points out the special features of a particular brand of laptop, than they would be by a schoolchild who might give the same information. But, if the buyers are themselves schoolchildren, they may be convinced more by another schoolchild advertising a laptop than they would be by a professional giving the same information. In the case of some products such as cars, sales may increase if they are publicised, not necessarily by experts, but by popular public figures.