Date of Award
5-10-2026
Date Published
June 2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Media Studies
Advisor(s)
Regina Luttrell
Keywords
brand attitudes;elaboration likelihood model;generative AI;image presentation format;online branding
Subject Categories
Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in brand visuals has prompted interest in whether presenting synthetic images alongside real counterparts changes how consumers engage with and evaluate them. This between-subjects online experiment (N = 211) tested whether paired versus single presentation of synthetic and real brand images affected engagement and attitudes, including perceived trustworthiness and perceived attractiveness, using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). Results did not reveal that presentation format affects engagement, engagement predicts either attitudinal outcome, or format moderates the engagement-attitude relationship. The strong covariance between trustworthiness and attractiveness may reflect a holistic mode of brand evaluation or measurement-related convergence. These findings raise future research directions about the dual-routes model when synthetic stimuli are perceptually indistinguishable from real ones and offer tentative reassurance for brands using mixed-image strategies.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Yu, Cancan, "Persuasive Effects of Paired Synthetic Images in Online Branding: A Comparative Study Using Elaboration Likelihood Model" (2026). Theses - ALL. 1019.
https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/1019
