Features of the use of cognitive biases in native advertising

The aim of the study is to detect cognitive biases embedded in native advertising articles and their hidden influence on the addressees in order to increase sales of their product. The identification of cognitive biases and the linguocognitive mechanisms behind them is aimed at combating manipulative practices in advertising and increasing awareness of a wide audience when perceiving advertising messages. This study is a development of the concept of effective communication and the technology of "Smart tuning". Cognitive biases in native advertising are chosen as the object of research, and the subject is the ways of verbalization of cognitive biases. The research material is selected from sponsored content articles in both Russian and English segments of online communication. The relevance of this research lies in the significance of analyzing native advertising in media discourse from the perspectives of cognitive linguistics within cognitive-discursive and biological approaches. The main research methods are the method of interpretation, the method of discourse analysis and random sampling statistical method. It is determined, that the use of cognitive biases to persuade addressees into making purchases is widespread in native advertising, particularly in the form of sponsored content. At least one cognitive bias was identified in 80% of the analyzed advertising articles. The following cognitive biases were identified: bandwagon effect, framing effect in various subclasses, authority effect, emotional reasoning, fear of missing out, narrative fallacy, halo effect, compromise effect, contrast and anchoring effect, confirmation bias, catastrophizing. These cognitive biases involve such linguocognitive mechanisms as framing, imagining in the form of intensification and positivization, focusing, inspiration, involvement in communication and in the game , pseudo-dialogue, personalization, spin doctoring, catastrophizing, which indicate a synergistic cognitive impact on the addressee.

cognitive biases, native advertising, linguocognitive mechanisms, media discourse, manipulation, effective communication, discourse analysis, framing bias, emotional reasoning, narrative fallacy