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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS
3. Results
3.1 Test of Interaction Effects
3.1.1 Strength of Ethnic Identification by Social Comparison by Model Skin Tone Effects
RQ1 investigated a three-way interaction among strength of ethnic identification, level of
social comparison, and model skin tone. The results indicated a significant three-way
interaction effect on the combined dependent variables [Wilks‘s Λ = 0.98, F(2, 363) =
3.46; p < .05; partial � 2 = .019]. When the results for the dependent variables were
considered separately, both source credibility [F(1, 364) = 5.26; p < .05, partial � 2 =
.014] and attitude toward the ad [F(1, 364) = 6.14; p < .05, partial � 2 = .017] reached
statistical significance.
Closer examination of the interaction revealed that Black comparers with high
ethnic identification evaluated the light-skinned Black character advertisement (n = 57)
more favorably on source credibility (M = 5.42, see Figure 1) and attitude toward the ad
(M = 5.55, see Figure 2) than did Black comparers with low ethnic identification (n = 43)
on source credibility (M = 4.61, see Figure 1) and attitude toward the ad (M = 4.38, see
Figure 2). However, when Black noncomparers evaluated the light-skinned Black
character advertisement, strength of ethnic identification did not have a major effect on
source credibility and attitude toward the ad.
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The parallel lines displayed in Figure 3 suggest that there was no significant interaction
between strength of ethnic identification and level of social comparison for the darkskinned
Black character advertisement on source credibility. Similarly, the parallel lines
displayed in Figure 4 suggest that there was no significant interaction between strength of
ethnic identification and level of social comparison for the dark-skinned Black character
advertisement on attitude toward the ad.
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3.1.2 Strength of Ethnic Identification by Model Skin Tone Effects
RQ2a investigated an interaction effect between strength of ethnic identification
and model skin tone. The results revealed a marginally significant two-way interaction
effect on the combined dependent variables [Wilks‘s Λ = 0.99, F(2, 363) = 2.82; p =
.061; partial � 2 = .015].
COPY RIGHT © 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 16
JANUARY 2011
VOL 2, NO 9