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Soontae Ahn

Ewha Womans University · Social Sciences

About the Lab

Professor Soontae Ahn's research lab specializes in media literacy, advertising persuasion, and the psychological impact of commercial messaging, particularly on children and adolescents. The lab investigates how children perceive and respond to advertising in digital environments such as advergames and native ads, with a focus on recognition, skepticism, and the effectiveness of advertising literacy education. It also explores the ethical tensions between commercial interests and journalistic integrity in media organizations. The lab’s work bridges communication theory, developmental psychology, and media ethics to address real-world challenges in media literacy and consumer protection.

advertising literacyadvergamesnative advertisingmedia literacypersuasion psychology

Research Overview

Papers
226
Total Citations
1,757
Papers (5y)
57
Primary Field
Social Sciences

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
57total
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
144total
20222023202420252026

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|169 citations·2011
Mitigating the Effects of Advergames on Children
Soontae An, Susannah R. Stern
SJR Q1Journal of Advertising

This study tested one currently used advertising break for an advergame to see whether its presence helped children recognize the promotional nature of the advergame and mitigated the effects of advertising within the game. With the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) as the theoretical frame, the experiment required that 112 children, aged 8 to 11, play an advergame in which visual and/or audio formats of the ad break were present or absent. Results showed that none of the ad breaks helped childre

EducationSocial Sciences
2
Article|118 citations·2014
Children's Advertising Literacy for Advergames: Perception of the Game as Advertising
Soontae An, Hyun Seung Jin, Eun Hae Park
SJR Q1Journal of Advertising

This study examined whether children recognized advergames as a type of advertising and the efficacy of an advertising literacy program. Results indicated that without the advertising literacy education, about three-quarters of the children did not recognize advergames as a type of advertising. However, those with advertising literacy education showed a significantly enhanced understanding. Also, a series of mediation tests showed that recognition of advertising was an indirect-only mediator bet

Gender StudiesSocial Sciences
3
Article|61 citations·2014
Advertising or games?
Soontae An, Hannah Kang
SJR Q1International Journal of Advertising

This study analysed advergames on top online gaming websites for children. The content of 131 websites was analysed to see whether each site contained advergames, particularly advergames for food products, and the way the advergames were presented to children. Results showed that very few websites made a distinction between advergames and general games. Only about 10% of the advergames notified users of their commercial nature via ad breaks during the game, and those breaks demonstrated potentia

Sociology and Political ScienceSocial Sciences
4
Article|60 citations·2007
Advertiser Pressure on Daily Newspapers: A Survey of Advertising Sales Executives
Soontae An, Lori Bergen
SJR Q1Journal of Advertising

Despite increasing concern over advertisers' influence on news content, little is known about how advertising sales executives handle balancing their business goals and the ultimate organizational goal—integrity of the news product—in their daily decision making. This study examines how and to what extent advertising sales executives deal with advertiser influences on news content. A survey of 219 advertising directors at U.S. daily newspapers showed frequent conflicts between the business side

MarketingBusiness, Management and Accounting
5
Article|51 citations·2018
Recognizing Native Ads as Advertising: Attitudinal and Behavioral Consequences
Soontae An, Gayle Kerr, Hyun Seung Jin
SJR Q1Journal of Consumer Affairs

This study assessed consumers' initial reactions to in‐feed native ads appearing as news content. In particular, it focuses on consumers' recognition of advertising when they realize that content they had thought were news stories had in fact been advertising. Recognition of advertising made consumers infer that advertisers had deliberately manipulated them. Consequently, consumers engaged less with the message, had less positive attitudes toward the brand, and were less likely to purchase and s

MarketingBusiness, Management and Accounting
6
Article|44 citations·2008
Antidepressant Direct-to-Consumer Advertising and Social Perception of the Prevalence of Depression: Application of the Availability Heuristic
Soontae An
SJR Q1Health Communication

This study examined the effect of antidepressant direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) on perceived prevalence of depression. A survey of Midwestern residents showed that those with high recall for antidepressant DTCA tended to estimate the prevalence of depression higher than those with low ad recall. However, with a source-priming cue before their estimation, the significant association was eliminated. Results indicate that people use antidepressant DTCA as a basis for their judgment of the pr

Applied PsychologyPsychology
7
Article|37 citations·2004
Interlocking of Newspaper Companies with Financial Institutions and Leading Advertisers
Soontae An, Hyun Seung Jin
SJR Q1Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly

This study analyzed the composition of boards of directors of thirteen publicly traded newspaper companies to examine the extent of director appointment from financial institutions or leading advertisers. The results revealed ingrained ties to financial institutions and leading advertisers from 1988 to 2000. A pooled cross-sectional time series analysis showed that a company's financial situation is associated with the subsequent appointment of directors. The results confirmed the view that inte

AccountingBusiness, Management and Accounting
8
Article|36 citations·2007
Attitude Toward Direct-to-Consumer Advertising and Drug Inquiry Intention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Knowledge
Soontae An
SJR Q1Journal of Health Communication

This study examined how consumers' general attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) influenced their drug inquiry intent, and whether the relationship between attitude toward DTCA and drug inquiry intent was moderated by their perceived knowledge of health and medicine. Results showed that those with favorable views of DTCA were more likely to inquire and request an advertised drug they saw. The effect was greater in magnitude for consumers with high perceived knowledge in health an

PharmacologyPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
9
Article|29 citations·2018
노인들의 건강 관련 모바일 앱 수용에 관한 연구: 임파워먼트의 역할
안순태, 강한나, 정순둘

<배경 및 목적> 본 연구는 노인들이 자신의 건강을 관리하는 데 있어서 건강과 관련된 모바일 앱을 채택하는 요인들에 대해살펴보았다. 특히, 기술 수용 모델에서 제시된 인지된 유용성과 인지된 이용 용이성에 영향을 미치는 선행변인으로서의 임파워먼트가 건강 관련 모바일 앱을 이용한 건강 정보 추구에 어떠한 경로로 영향을 미치는지를 살펴보기 위하여 구조적 모델을 설정하고 검증하였다. <방법> 만 65세 이상을 노인으로 정의내리고, 이들을 대상으로 면대면 설문이 이루어졌고, 총 240명이 설문에 참여하였다. <결과> 임파워먼트는 인지된 이용 용이성과 정적인 관계를 가지는 것으로 나타났다. 인지된 이용 용이성은 인지된유용성과 정적인 관계를 보였고, 인지된 유용성은 건강 관련 모바일 앱에 관한 태도, 건강 관련 모바일 앱의이용 의도와 정적인 관계를 가지는 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 건강 관련 모바일 앱에 관한 태도는 건강 관련 모바일 앱의 이용 의도와 정적인 관계를 가지는 것으로 나타났다. <논의

10
Article|29 citations·2022
토픽 모델링 분석을 통해 살펴본 세대 갈등에 대한 온라인 댓글 여론의 반응 : 세대 연대를 위한 미디어 역할에 관한 탐색적 연구
안순태, 이하나, 정순둘

본 연구는 최근 뉴스 미디어에서 자주 보도되고 있는 청년세대와 기성세대의 갈등에 초점을 두고, 뉴스 기사에 달린 댓글을 분석함으로써 해당 세대가 빚고 있는 갈등을 대하는 공중의 시각이 어떠한지 탐색하였다. 본 연구에서 주목한 갈등의 주체는 2021년 현재, 10대 후반부터 30대 중반에 해당하는 청년과 50대 초반부터 60대 초반까지에 해당하는 중년이다. 수집된 댓글은 총 5개의 주제로 구분되었다. 첫 번째 토픽은 MZ세대로 불리는 청년세대를 향한 의견들로, ‘지나치게 개인적이고 자신의 권리만 주장하려 하는 이기적인 세대’, ‘일은 제대로 하지 않으면서 투정만 부리는 세대’라는 평가가 나타났다. 두 번째 토픽은 기성세대를 향한 의견들로, ‘자기 생각을 일방적으로 강요하는 상사’, ‘잔소리만 하고 쓸데없이 모임만 강조하는 상사’ 등과 같은 의견이 담겨 있었다. 세 번째 토픽에 해당하는 댓글들은 ‘요즘의 청년세대와 기성세대가 겪는 갈등은 새로운 문제가 전혀 아니며, 시대가 변하더라도 항

11
Article|28 citations·2018
Sponsorship Disclosures of Native Advertising: Clarity and Prominence
Soontae An, Hannah Kang, Sra Koo
SJR Q1Journal of Consumer Affairs

The purpose of this study is to investigate the display of sponsorship disclosures in native advertisements. Based on the native ad guidelines of the Federal Trade Commission, we assessed the clarity and prominence of sponsorship disclosures used by major media outlets. Eighty‐three native ads posted in high‐traffic media Web sites were analyzed. Results revealed problems mostly related to clarity of disclosures. In labeling, various terms were used, including the media's own neologisms, which a

MarketingBusiness, Management and Accounting
12
Article|26 citations·2022
Social stigma of suicide in South Korea: A cultural perspective
Soontae An, Hannah Lee, Jiyoon Lee, Seungmi Kang
SJR Q1Death Studies

This study examined suicide stigma in relation to Korean cultural characteristics, such as Collectivism, Chemyon sensitivity (concern about losing a socially acceptable face), the tendency toward conformity, and the emphasis on the interdependent self. We found that these characteristics were connected to suicide stigma in Korea. Those with high Chemyon sensitivity tended to perceive that suicidal people were incompetent, immoral, selfish, and deviated from society. Conformity tendency was posit

Clinical PsychologyPsychology
13
Article|26 citations·2017
매체를 통한 노인접촉경험이 연령주의 행동의도에 미치는 영향: 노인에 대한 태도와 사회적 규범의 매개효과를 중심으로
안순태, 이선영, 정순둘
한국노년학

본 연구는 성인들이 대중매체를 통해 노인에 대한 프로그램에 노출되는 정도와 이러한 노출로 인해 전달받은 노인에 대한 이미지를 살펴봄으로써 노인에 대한 간접적 접촉과 연령주의 행동의도 간의 관계를 살펴보았다. 더불어 노인에 대한 태도와 사회적 규범이 매체를 통한 간접적 접촉과 노인에 대한 회피와 차별과 같은 연령주의 행동의도 간의 관계에서 매개변인으로 작용하는 지도 살펴보았다. 온라인 설문을 통해 만 18세 이상 65세 미만의 일반인 252명을 대상으로 설문을 실시한 결과, 매체를 통한 노인접촉 빈도가 낮을수록 부정적 태도는 증가하는 것으로 나타났으며, 매체를 통한 노인이미지가 부정적일수록 노인에 대해 더 부정적인 태도를 보이는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 매체를 통한 노인접촉 정도가 낮을수록 부정적 규범은 감소하는 것으로 나타났으며, 매체를 통한 노인이미지가 부정적일수록 노인에 대한 부정적 규범도 높아지는 것으로 나타났다. 노인에 대한 부정적 태도는 노인에 대한 회피행위에만 영향을 미치는

14
Article|23 citations·2016
소셜미디어 네이티브 광고의 감성 자극이 심리적각성과 광고 효과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구
안순태, 이하나, 박현정
방송통신연구

본 연구는 다양한 네이티브 광고 방식 중 기사 형식의 스폰서 콘텐츠에 초점을 두고, 수용자의 감성 자극 여부에 따른 광고 효과를 실증적으로 검증하였다. 연구 결과에 따르면, 감성적 네이티브 광고에 노출된 피험자들은 중립적 메시지에 노출된 피험자들보다 광고된 제품에 대한 태도, 브랜드 태도, 제품 구매의도, 브랜드 구매 의도 모두에 있어 높은 긍정적 태도를 보였다. 이는 저관여 제품인 생수와 고관여 제품인 카메라 모두에 있어 동일하게 발견되었다. 또한, 감성적 네이티브 광고에 노출된 피험자들이 중립적 메시지에 노출된 피험자들보다 심리적 각성이 더욱 활성화되었으며, 이렇게 유발된 심리적 각성은광고 효과에 영향을 준다는 매개 효과가 검증되었다. 본 연구의 결과는 네이티브 광고의 효과를 극대화하려면 단순한 정보 전달보다 감성을 자극시킬 수 있는 메시지 전략이 요구됨을 보여 준다.

15
Article|22 citations·2013
Do online ad breaks clearly tell kids that advergames are advertisements that intend to sell things?
Soontae An, Hannah Kang
SJR Q1International Journal of Advertising

Advergames, blending advertising messages with interactive games, aggressively target young children online. Due to the immersive and embedded nature of commercial messages in advergames, it is important to provide a cue to trigger children’s persuasion knowledge of the marketplace and advertising. The purpose of this study was to analyse the format, content and characteristics of online ad breaks. The results showed that many websites do not provide any type of ad break. Furthermore, the conten

Information SystemsComputer Science

Research Areas

Sociology and Political ScienceMarketingClinical PsychologyCultural StudiesInformation SystemsAerospace Engineering

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