Degree
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Social media influencers play a commercial role on social media platforms such as Instagram, where sponsored content is often integrated into personal and relatable content. Content which could be considered a “normal” post by social media influencers. Sponsorship disclosures are required and regulated by the Federal Trade Commission to signal paid advertising and partnerships between Influencers and brands. Sponsorship disclosures are theorized to activate persuasion knowledge and psychological reactance, potentially reducing consumer purchase intentions. This study examined how varying levels of sponsorship disclosure affect purchase intentions, perceived authenticity, and psychological reactance among young adult social media users. Sourcing information from Persuasion Knowledge Model, Psychological Reactance Theory, and Dual Process Theory, it was hypothesized that the higher level of disclosure would reduce willingness to purchase (H1), with perceived authenticity (RQ1) and reactance (RQ2). A total of 256 participants (ages 18-25) were recruited via Prolific and randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: no disclosure, moderate disclosure, full disclosure, or an unsponsored review (control). Participants viewed a 39-second Instagram Reel featuring a fictional influencer, “mybakeaday”, promoting a Hamilton Beach immersion blender set and then completed measures of purchase intentions, perceived authenticity of social media influencers (sincerity, transparent endorsement, visibility, expertise, and uniqueness), and psychological reactance. One-way ANOVAs revealed no significant effects of disclosure conditions on any outcome variable, and Bayesian analyses provided anecdotal-to-strong support for the null hypothesis for all conditions. These findings suggest that sponsorship disclosure level may not meaningfully influence the attitudes or purchase intentions of young adults who might be already highly acclimated to short-form social media advertising. Results are discussed in terms of advertising desensitization, the absence of an established influencer-viewer relationship, and product type.
Date
2-6-2026
Recommended Citation
Lindquist, Maria, "The Perception of Advertising Disclosures from Social Media Influencers and Its Impact on Consumers" (2026). Masters Theses. 30.
https://scholarshub.louisiana.edu/masters_theses/30
DOI
https://proquest.com/docview/3347830234
First Committee Chair
Mark LaCour
First Committee Member
Brooke Breaux
Second Committee Member
Manyu Li