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Journalism & Mass Communication... Mar 2023This study investigated how exposure to negative and misleading online comments about the COVID-19 vaccination persuasive messages and the ensuing corrective rebuttals...
This study investigated how exposure to negative and misleading online comments about the COVID-19 vaccination persuasive messages and the ensuing corrective rebuttals of these comments affected people's attitudes and intentions regarding vaccination. An online experiment was performed with 344 adults in the United States. The results showed that rebuttals by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rather than those by social media users, indirectly increased people's willingness to receive the vaccine by reducing their psychological reactance to persuasive messages and their belief in the misinformation contained in the comments. Rebuttals by social media users became more effective in reducing reactance when people initially had stronger pro-vaccination attitudes.
PubMed: 36814707
DOI: 10.1177/10776990221084606 -
Vaccine Mar 2023We sought to 1) explore trusted sources for vaccine information, 2) describe persuasive characteristics of trusted messages promoting routine and COVID-19 vaccines for...
Persuading the "Movable Middle": Characteristics of effective messages to promote routine and COVID-19 vaccinations for adults and children - The impact of COVID-19 on beliefs and attitudes.
PURPOSE
We sought to 1) explore trusted sources for vaccine information, 2) describe persuasive characteristics of trusted messages promoting routine and COVID-19 vaccines for children and adults and 3) explore how the pandemic has impacted attitudes and beliefs about routine vaccinations. We conducted a mixed method cross-sectional study between May 3-June 14, 2021 including a survey and six focus groups among a sub-set of survey respondents. A total of 1,553 survey respondents (from which n = 33 participated in the focus groups) including adults without children under age nineteen years (n = 582) and parents with children under age nineteen years (n = 971).
RESULTS
Primary care providers, family, and credible sources, characterized as known and well-established entities, were top sources of vaccine information. Neutrality, honesty, and having a trusted source to rely on in sorting through volumes of sometimes conflicting information were highly valued. Trustworthy qualities about sources included: 1) expertise, 2) fact-based, 3) unbiased, and 4) having an established process for sharing information. Because of the evolving nature of the pandemic, attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19 vaccine and sources of COVID-19 information differed from typical views about routine vaccines. Of 1,327 (85.4 %) survey respondents, 12.7 % and 9.4 % of adults and parents cited that the pandemic impacted their attitudes and beliefs. Among these respondents, 8 % of adults and 3 % of parents cited more favorable attitudes and beliefs about getting vaccinated with routine vaccines because of the pandemic.
CONCLUSION
Vaccine attitudes and beliefs which inform intent to vaccinate can change and differ among different vaccines. Messaging should be tailored to resonate with parents and adults to improve vaccine uptake.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adult; Young Adult; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Vaccination; Vaccines; Parents
PubMed: 36803899
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.015 -
Meat Science May 2023A reduction of meat consumption is crucial for addressing public health problems, especially in industrialized countries. Among low-cost interventions, emotionally...
A reduction of meat consumption is crucial for addressing public health problems, especially in industrialized countries. Among low-cost interventions, emotionally provocative health-information strategies could be effective options in fostering meat reduction. Through an online experimental survey, administrated to a quota-based national sample (N = 1142), this study analysed the profile of Italians consuming red/processed meat above World Health Organization (WHO) recommended amounts. Via a between-subjects design, the research tested whether two health frame-nudges (societal impact and individual impact of over consumption) persuaded these individuals to reduce future meat consumption. Results showed that adhering to an omnivore diet, higher consumption of meat than peers, household size (larger) and positive moral perception of meat consumption increased the likelihood of overconsumption. In addition, both nudges proved to be effective in positively impacting future intentions to reduce meat consumption among individuals exceeding WHO recommended amounts. The two frame-nudges were more effective among females, respondents with children in the household and individuals with a low health status perception.
Topics: Female; Child; Humans; Meat; Diet; Red Meat; Surveys and Questionnaires; Italy
PubMed: 36796286
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109135 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023Following international best practice examples, the Romanian government resorted to its social media accounts to disseminate information and unfold an awareness and...
Following international best practice examples, the Romanian government resorted to its social media accounts to disseminate information and unfold an awareness and persuasion campaign to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The article focuses on the use of the government's YouTube and Facebook accounts to persuade the population to get vaccinated in 2021 via video messages tailored for this purpose. The research quantified the volume of public engagement with the two waves of the persuasive campaign, finding that, while click-based reactions tended to show a positive attitude toward the campaign, the comments mainly denoted frustration, anger, and anxiety on the part of the public. Moreover, the citizens' engagement with the campaign messages was by far lower than the number of subscribers and followers of the analyzed social media accounts. The goal of the COVID-19 public health persuasion campaign was to build support for the governmental policy and minimize the risks of the pandemic while vaccination was being rolled out. The public reaction to the governmental campaign showed that a finer and more adapted approach was necessary. This study offers a qualitative basis for informing health communication strategies of the challenges posed by social media platforms used in crisis times.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Social Media; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Romania; Government
PubMed: 36767744
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032372 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Mar 2023Behaviors such as hand-washing and vaccination save human lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Yet, people differ widely in their willingness to engage in...
RATIONALE
Behaviors such as hand-washing and vaccination save human lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Yet, people differ widely in their willingness to engage in them. This investigation examines whether people's willingness to protect themselves physically from contracting coronavirus depends on their self-esteem. Based on self-verification theory, we propose that people who hold negative self-views are less motivated to protect their health which reduces their willingness to engage in recommended preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social-distancing.
OBJECTIVE
We set out to test (i) whether self-esteem predicts people's willingness to engage in COVID-19 prevention behaviors, (ii) whether this relationship is due to variance in motivation to protect one's health (as well as alternative mechanisms), and (iii) whether health messages can more successfully persuade low self-esteem people to follow preventive measures by framing those behaviors around protecting the health of others (vs. oneself).
METHODS
Four studies were conducted with U.S. and German residents. In Study 1, we examine the association between self-esteem, willingness to engage in self-protection behavior, health motivation, and several alternative accounts. In Study 2, we manipulate state self-esteem, and in Studies 3 and 4, we vary the target of COVID-19 prevention behaviors (self vs. other).
RESULTS
People with chronic or temporarily induced low self-esteem report a lower willingness to engage in COVID-19 prevention behaviors because they lack motivation to protect their health. Varying the protection target of preventive behaviors (self vs. others) interacts with self-esteem: Low self-esteem people are more willing to follow preventive measures (e.g., vaccination) when they are framed as protecting others (vs. oneself).
CONCLUSIONS
Self-esteem impacts people's behavior during a global pandemic and needs to be considered when designing health communications. Public health messages can increase compliance among individuals with lower self-esteem by framing prevention behaviors as a way to protect the health of others.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Persuasive Communication; Pandemics; Public Health
PubMed: 36716697
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115715 -
PNAS Nexus Nov 2022Does clear and transparent communication of risks, benefits, and uncertainties increase or undermine public trust in scientific information that people use to guide...
Does clear and transparent communication of risks, benefits, and uncertainties increase or undermine public trust in scientific information that people use to guide their decision-making? We examined the impact of reframing messages written in traditional persuasive style to align instead with recent "evidence communication" principles, aiming to inform decision-making: communicating a balance of risks and benefits, disclosing uncertainties and evidence quality, and prebunking misperceptions. In two pre-registered experiments, UK participants read either a persuasive message or a balanced and informative message adhering to evidence communication recommendations about COVID-19 vaccines (Study 1) or nuclear power plants (Study 2). We find that balanced messages are either perceived as trustworthy as persuasive messages (Study 1), or more so (Study 2). However, we note a moderating role of prior beliefs such that balanced messages were consistently perceived as more trustworthy among those with negative or neutral prior beliefs about the message content. We furthermore note that participants who had read the persuasive message on nuclear power plants voiced significantly stronger support for nuclear power than those who had read the balanced message, despite rating the information as less trustworthy. There was no difference in vaccination intentions between groups reading the different vaccine messages.
PubMed: 36712327
DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac280 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by the rapid spread of misinformation through social media platforms. This study attempted to develop an online fake news game... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by the rapid spread of misinformation through social media platforms. This study attempted to develop an online fake news game based on the inoculation theory, applicable to the pandemic context, and aimed at enhancing misinformation discrimination. It also tested whether perceived threat and persuasion knowledge serve as underlying mechanisms of the effects of the intervention on misinformation discrimination. In Study 1, we used online priming to examine the influence of inoculation on misinformation discrimination. In Study 2, we developed an online fake-news-game-based intervention and attempted to validate its effectiveness through a randomized controlled trial while also exploring the mediating roles of perceived threat and persuasion knowledge. In Study 1, brief inoculation information priming significantly enhanced the ability to recognize misinformation (F(2.502) = 8.321, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.032). In Study 2, the five-day game-based intervention significantly enhanced the ability to recognize misinformation (F(2.322) = 3.301, p = 0.038, ηp2 = 0.020). The mediation effect of persuasion knowledge was significant (β = 0.025, SE = 0.016, 95% CI = [0.034, 0.075]), while that of perceived threat was not significant. Online interventions based on the inoculation theory are effective in enhancing misinformation discrimination, and one of the underlying mechanisms of this effect lies in its promotion of persuasion knowledge.
Topics: Humans; Persuasive Communication; Pandemics; COVID-19; Internet-Based Intervention; Knowledge; Social Media; Communication
PubMed: 36673733
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20020980 -
Nutrients Dec 2022Currently, insects are considered as a promising alternative protein source due to their nutritional content and their environmental sustainability. Notwithstanding...
Currently, insects are considered as a promising alternative protein source due to their nutritional content and their environmental sustainability. Notwithstanding this, generally consumers show reluctance towards the introduction of edible insects into their diet, mostly influenced by food neophobia. Persuasive communication strategies (e.g., informational vs. emotional appeals) have been a major topic in consumer behavior research. Scholars often refer to the construct of message sensation value (MSV), which is defined as the intensity of audio, visual, and content features of a message that elicit sensory, affective, and arousal responses. In this work, a computer-based experiment (N = 148) was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of messages based on different levels of MSV in promoting the intention to eat insect-based foods, and interactions between MSV and food neophobia. Results indicate that, MSV, food neophobia, and their interaction significantly affect the willingness to consume insect-based food products with or without visible insects, highlighting novel pathways for segmenting consumers, in order to strengthen the communication effects.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder; Insecta; Italy; Communication; Sensation; Consumer Behavior
PubMed: 36615852
DOI: 10.3390/nu15010191 -
Nutrients Dec 2022In the present research, we analyzed how to promote a plant-based diet by involving 428 volunteers in a 2-week mobile app intervention. We compared messages promoting...
In the present research, we analyzed how to promote a plant-based diet by involving 428 volunteers in a 2-week mobile app intervention. We compared messages promoting the addition of legumes versus messages promoting the replacement of meat with legumes. Messages were either combined or not combined with dynamic norms (i.e., information that more and more people are enacting the behavior). We compared these messages with a control condition (i.e., no message intervention) and we also analyzed the moderation effect of receivers' identification with flexitarians (i.e., people who occasionally eat animal products) and attitudes towards them. In the short term, addition messages increased legume consumption more than replacement messages, especially in people with a negative evaluation of flexitarians and low identification with them. In the long term, increased legume consumption was recorded only when addition messages were combined with dynamic norms. As for meat consumption, the replacement messages were more effective in reducing it in the short term than in the long term, especially in people with positive attitudes towards flexitarians. However, replacement messages combined with dynamic norms were more effective in the long term than in the short term. These results advance our comprehension of how to tailor dietary messages.
Topics: Animals; Fabaceae; Diet; Meat; Attitude; Vegetables; Diet, Vegetarian
PubMed: 36615672
DOI: 10.3390/nu15010015 -
PloS One 2023Existing task-oriented virtual agents can assist users with simple tasks like ticket booking, hotel reservations, etc. effectively and with high confidence. These...
PURPOSE
Existing task-oriented virtual agents can assist users with simple tasks like ticket booking, hotel reservations, etc. effectively and with high confidence. These virtual assistants, however, assume specific, predictable end-user behavior, such as predefined/servable objectives, which results in conversation failures in challenging situations, such as when goals are unavailable.
METHODOLOGY
Inspired by the practice and its efficacy, we propose an end-to-end framework for task-oriented persuasive dialogue generation that combines pre-training and reinforcement learning for generating context-aware persuasive responses. We utilize four novel rewards to improve consistency and repetitiveness in generated responses. Additionally, a meta-learning strategy has also been utilized to make the model parameters better for domain adaptation. Furthermore, we also curate a personalized persuasive dialogue (PPD) corpus, which contains utterance-level intent, slot, sentiment, and persuasion strategy annotation.
FINDINGS
The obtained results and detailed analysis firmly establish the effectiveness of the proposed persuasive virtual assistant over traditional task-oriented virtual assistants. The proposed framework considerably increases the quality of dialogue generation in terms of consistency and repetitiveness. Additionally, our experiment with a few shot and zero-shot settings proves that our meta-learned model learns to quickly adopt new domains with a few or even zero no. of training epochs. It outperforms the non-meta-learning-based approaches keeping the base model constant.
ORIGINALITY
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to improve a task-oriented virtual agent's persuasiveness and domain adaptation.
Topics: Persuasive Communication; Learning; Reinforcement, Psychology
PubMed: 36602995
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275750