“Inner Child” Messaging, Perceived Authenticity, and Consumer Responses in Advertising
研究发现，直接唤起消费者“内在小孩”的广告信息比唤起怀旧记忆更有效，能提升感知真实性和支付意愿，尤其适用于与童年相关的产品。
This study shows that using advertising messages directly appealing to consumers’ “inner child” can increase persuasion. Evidence from a field study and six experiments demonstrates that inner child messaging (“Make your inner child proud with X”) is more effective and less cognitively demanding than self-referencing messages asking consumers to recall nostalgic products and experiences (“Remember when you used X as a child”). Additionally, when combined with messages emphasizing the existential authenticity of products and experiences, the inner child cue enhances perceived offer authenticity and willingness to pay. This effect is particularly strong for products and experiences closely associated with childhood.