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Perspectives on Medical Education 2023ChatGPT has been widely heralded as a way to level the playing field in scientific communication through its free language editing service. However, such claims lack...
ChatGPT has been widely heralded as a way to level the playing field in scientific communication through its free language editing service. However, such claims lack systematic evidence. A writing scholar (LL) and six non-native English scholars researching health professions education collaborated on this Writer's Craft to fill this gap. Our overarching aim was to provide experiential evidence about ChatGPT's performance as a language editor and writing coach. We implemented three cycles of a systematic procedure, describing how we developed our prompts, selected text for editing, incrementally prompted to refine ChatGPT's responses, and analyzed the quality of its language edits and explanations. From this experience, we offer five insights, and we conclude that the optimism about ChatGPT's capacity to level the playing field for non-native English writers should be tempered. In the writer's craft section we offer simple tips to improve your writing in one of three areas: Energy, Clarity and Persuasiveness. Each entry focuses on a key writing feature or strategy, illustrates how it commonly goes wrong, teaches the grammatical underpinnings necessary to understand it and offers suggestions to wield it effectively. We encourage readers to share comments on or suggestions for this section on Twitter, using the hashtag: #how'syourwriting?
Topics: Humans; Communication; Language; Persuasive Communication; Writing
PubMed: 38163049
DOI: 10.5334/pme.1246 -
JMIR Formative Research Mar 2024Unobtrusive sensing technologies developed for monitoring deviant behaviors in older adult care require integration with an interaction platform to facilitate the flow...
BACKGROUND
Unobtrusive sensing technologies developed for monitoring deviant behaviors in older adult care require integration with an interaction platform to facilitate the flow of information between older adults and their caregivers. However, the continuous monitoring capabilities generate a considerable amount of data that must be interpreted, filtered, and personalized before being communicated to the informal caregivers based on their specific care needs and requirements.
OBJECTIVE
For the effective implementation of unobtrusive sensing solutions (USSs) in the care of older adults with cognitive impairment, we aimed to explore the expectations and preconditions regarding the implementation of USSs from the perspective of informal caregivers. Subsequently, we designed and evaluated a low-fidelity prototype of an interaction platform for its conceptual workflow and usability, incorporating persuasive system design features based on the needs and requirements of informal caregivers.
METHODS
Overall, 6 informal caregivers of older adults with cognitive impairment living alone participated in this qualitative interview study. We explored the expectation and preconditions regarding implementation through open-ended questions and conducted a formative evaluation (usability study with a think-aloud approach) to evaluate the conceptual workflow and used persuasive system design features in the interaction platform. Overall, a combination of inductive and thematic analyses was used to analyze the interviews.
RESULTS
The results of this study present both positive and negative outcome expectations regarding the implementation of USSs, highlighting benefits such as objective decision-making and peace of mind and concerns about information overload and the potential substitution of human contact. Strategic information communication agreements between informal and formal caregivers were deemed crucial for the successful implementation of USSs in care. Overall, informal caregivers had a positive experience with the low-fidelity prototype of the interaction platform, particularly valuing the personalization feature.
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, to achieve successful implementation, a holistic design approach is necessary, and equal consideration should be given to the personalization-privacy paradox to balance users' needs and privacy.
PubMed: 38517461
DOI: 10.2196/53402 -
Cognitive Processing May 2024The paper provides novel theoretical and experimental perspectives on the functioning of linguistic vagueness as an implicit persuasive strategy. It presents an...
The paper provides novel theoretical and experimental perspectives on the functioning of linguistic vagueness as an implicit persuasive strategy. It presents an operative definition of pragmatically marked vagueness, referring to vague expressions whose interpretation is not retrievable by recipients. The phenomenon is illustrated via numerous examples of its use in predominantly persuasive texts (i.e., advertising and political propaganda) in different languages. The psycholinguistic functioning of vague expressions is then illustrated by the results of a self-paced reading task experiment. Data showing shorter reading times associated with markedly vague expressions as compared to expressions that are either (a) lexically more precise or (b) made precise by the context suggest that the former are interpreted in a shallow way, without searching for and/or retrieving exact referents. These results support the validity of a differentiation between context-supported vs. non-supported vague expressions. Furthermore, validation of using marked vagueness as a persuasive implicit strategy which reduces epistemic vigilance is provided.
Topics: Humans; Persuasive Communication; Reading; Psycholinguistics; Male; Female; Adult; Young Adult; Reaction Time; Language
PubMed: 38285278
DOI: 10.1007/s10339-023-01171-z -
PloS One 2024Drawing on Critical Metaphor Analysis, this study investigates major metaphors of the COVID-19 pandemic used by the Chinese government in the specific genre of news...
Drawing on Critical Metaphor Analysis, this study investigates major metaphors of the COVID-19 pandemic used by the Chinese government in the specific genre of news picture. It examines patterns of metaphor use in the first year of the pandemic in China and explains how and why the government employs the identified metaphors in the Chinese political context. Results reveal that pandemic metaphors (45%) are not as widely used in news pictures as presumed, the vast majority (95%) are rendered in verbal mode, and the most salient metaphors used in news pictures are the UP/DOWN (spatial), WAR, FAMILY, and COMPETITION metaphors. This study then addresses how COVID-19 metaphors are used in the Chinese political context and claims that the Chinese government uses specific metaphors with persuasive and ideological functions. The WAR metaphor aids comprehension of abstract concepts of the pandemic treatment, the FAMILY metaphor fosters empathy among Chinese individuals to counter blame and discrimination in society, UP/DOWN (spatial) and COMPETITION metaphors stimulate action to overcome the common "enemy." WAR and FAMILY metaphors also contribute to the construction of a greater sense of collectivism and play a crucial role in fostering a positive national identity. Implications, limitations and some directions for future research are suggested.
Topics: Humans; Metaphor; Pandemics; COVID-19; China; Comprehension
PubMed: 38306327
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297336 -
PloS One 2024While metaphors are frequently used to address misconceptions and hesitancy about vaccines, it is unclear how effective they are in health messaging. Using a... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
While metaphors are frequently used to address misconceptions and hesitancy about vaccines, it is unclear how effective they are in health messaging. Using a between-subject, pretest/posttest design, we investigated the impact of explanatory metaphors on people's attitudes toward vaccines. We recruited participants online in the US (N = 301) and asked them to provide feedback on a (fictional) health messaging campaign, which we organized around responses to five common questions about vaccines. All participants completed a 24-item measure of their attitudes towards vaccines before and after evaluating the responses to the five questions. We created three possible response passages for each vaccine question: two included extended explanatory metaphors, and one contained a literal response (i.e., no explanatory metaphors). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either all metaphors or all 'literal' responses. They rated each response on several dimensions and then described how they would answer the target question about vaccines if it were posed by a friend. Results showed participants in both conditions rated most messages as being similarly understandable, informative, and persuasive, with a few notable exceptions. Participants in both conditions also exhibited a similar small-but significant-increase in favorable attitudes towards vaccines from pre- to posttest. Notably, participants in the metaphor condition provided longer free-response answers to the question posed by a hypothetical friend, with different metaphors being reused to different extents and in different ways in their responses. Taken together, our findings suggest that: (a) Brief health messaging passages may have the potential to improve attitudes towards vaccines, (b) Metaphors neither enhance nor reduce this attitude effect, (c) Metaphors may be more helpful than literal language in facilitating further social communication about vaccines.
Topics: Humans; Metaphor; Language; Communication; Attitude
PubMed: 38170715
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294739 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2023During the pandemic, the Japanese government drew upon the cultural concept of , or personal self-constraint, requesting that individuals accept responsibility for their...
During the pandemic, the Japanese government drew upon the cultural concept of , or personal self-constraint, requesting that individuals accept responsibility for their behaviors and consider minimizing the potential negative impact on others. While the approach to pandemic management rests upon the established and persuasive influence of cultural norms, variability in adherence can be expected according to age. This article documents an investigation into factors impacting vaccine hesitancy and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 misinformation among Japanese youth. The point of departure is the belief that attitudes and behaviors, such as those underpinning the approach to pandemic management, arise from within a relational framework. Therefore, developmental characteristics, such as personality traits, and in-group affinity attachments, such as facets of national identity, can be expected to function as predictors of health attitudes and behaviors. The tested structural model of hypothesized interactions accounted for 14% of the observed variance in vaccine hesitancy and 20% in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 misinformation. With the inclusion of gender, political ideology, and trust in government SARS-CoV-2 response as control variables, the respecified model increased the amount of variance observed in vaccine hesitancy to 30% and to 25% in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 misinformation. The outcomes are discussed in relation to the communication of coherent public health discourse relative to personality traits and facets of national identity.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Vaccination Hesitancy; SARS-CoV-2; Japan; COVID-19; Communication; Personality
PubMed: 38248507
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21010042 -
American Journal of Health Promotion :... Sep 2023To examine strategies that help motivate social correction behaviors to combat COVID-19-related health misinformation on social media.
PURPOSE
To examine strategies that help motivate social correction behaviors to combat COVID-19-related health misinformation on social media.
DESIGN
2 (message types: narrative vs statistics) x 2 (social frames: individual vs collective) between-subjects experiment.
SETTING
Qualtrics-based online experiment via Lucid.
SUBJECTS
The final sample consisted of 450 participants ( = 45.31).
MEASURES
Manipulation check, discussion and correction intentions, and need for cognition (NFC).
ANALYSIS
ANCOVA and PROCESS model 3 were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Significant interaction effects emerged between message types and social frames on discussion intention, (1, 442) = 5.26, = .022, and correction intention, (1, 442) = 4.85, = .028. Collectively framed narrative correction ( = 3.15, = 3.17) was more effective than individually framed narrative correction ( = 2.73, = 2.77). Individually framed statistical correction ( = 3.10, = 2.95) was more persuasive than collectively framed statistical correction ( = 2.89, = 2.69). The interaction effects were more evident for people low on NFC, = .031.
CONCLUSION
In motivating social correction behaviors, a story is better told with an emphasis on collective interests, and numbers are better presented with personal gains and losses. Future interventions should identify the target audience based on the level of NFC.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Pandemics; COVID-19; Communication; Intention; Cognition; Social Media
PubMed: 37309829
DOI: 10.1177/08901171231184075 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023The scholarship on flirting as a persuasive tactic in the workplace indicates that flirting can have negative consequences for task groups. The goal of this study was to...
The scholarship on flirting as a persuasive tactic in the workplace indicates that flirting can have negative consequences for task groups. The goal of this study was to extend the investigation of instrumental flirting by operationalizing this form of flirting as charm and by examining the consequences of charm in decision-making groups for the individual group members. In the current study, participants (60 women, 60 men) made decisions in four-person, mixed sex groups. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of charm was negatively associated with perceptions of group member task competence. Differences in perceptions of charm were also examined.
PubMed: 37504050
DOI: 10.3390/bs13070603 -
Social Cognitive and Affective... Nov 2023Activity within the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) during encoding of persuasive messages has been shown to predict message-consistent behaviors both within...
Activity within the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) during encoding of persuasive messages has been shown to predict message-consistent behaviors both within scanner samples and at the population level. This suggests that neuroimaging can aid in the development of better persuasive messages, but little is known about how the brain responds to different message features. Building on past findings, the current study found that gain-framed persuasive messages elicited more VMPFC activation than loss-framed messages, but only when messages addressed outcomes that would be experienced by participants directly. Participants also perceived gain-framed messages as more effective than loss-framed messages, and self-reported perceptions of message effectiveness were positively correlated with VMPFC activation. These results support theories that VMPFC activity during message encoding indexes perceptions of value and self-relevance and demonstrate that established theories of persuasion can improve the understanding of the neural correlates of persuasion.
Topics: Humans; Persuasive Communication; Health Behavior; Prefrontal Cortex; Self Report; Health Promotion
PubMed: 37952097
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad069 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024We examined the effectiveness of three different messages for persuading individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the role that emotions play in persuasion. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effectiveness of three different messages for persuading individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the role that emotions play in persuasion.
METHODS
Four hundred-thirty-six participants reported their concern about the COVID-19 pandemic and confidence/hesitancy toward vaccines. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three text conditions: (1) self-interest: a persuasive message that focused on how much of a "serious threat COVID-19 is to you," and to get vaccinated to "protect yourself"; (2) self-interest + altruistic: a persuasive message that focused on the "threat to you and your community" and to get vaccinated to "protect you and your loved ones"; (3) self-interest + altruistic + normal: a persuasive message that included (2) but added "This is the only way we can get back to a normal life."; and, (4) a baseline control: no text. After reading, participants reported their emotions toward COVID-19 vaccines and their willingness to get vaccinated.
RESULTS
Individuals in the self-interest + altruistic + normal condition were more willing to get vaccinated compared to the control condition and self-interest + altruistic condition. However, there were no differences in willingness between the self-interest + altruistic + normal condition and the self-interest condition. Moreover, emotions mediated relations between vaccine confidence/hesitancy and willingness.
CONCLUSION
A message that focuses on "getting back to normal" can achieve important public health action by increasing vaccine uptake to protect the population. Future work is needed across multiple countries and contexts (i.e., non-pandemic) to assess message effectiveness.
Topics: Humans; Persuasive Communication; Female; Male; COVID-19; Emotions; Adult; COVID-19 Vaccines; Middle Aged; Vaccination; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination Hesitancy; Young Adult; Text Messaging; Patient Acceptance of Health Care
PubMed: 38756873
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1377973