-
Communication & Sport Aug 2023Overweight is one of the major health-related challenges in industrialized countries and mostly preventable through a healthy diet and regular engagement in physical...
A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Parasocial Relationships and Breakups With Characters of a Health-Related TV Show on Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior: The Case of The Biggest Loser.
Overweight is one of the major health-related challenges in industrialized countries and mostly preventable through a healthy diet and regular engagement in physical activity. Health communication practitioners and researchers, therefore, started using the media's persuasive potential by creating entertainment-education (E-E) programs that promote healthy nutrition and exercise. By observing the characters in E-E programs, audience members can learn vicariously and eventually develop personal bonds with them. The current study investigates the effects of parasocial relationships (PSRs) with characters of a health-related E-E show, as well as the impact of parasocial breakups (PSBUs) on health-relevant outcomes. Using the setting of the show The Biggest Loser (TBL), we conducted a quasi-experimental longitudinal field study. Participants ( = 149) watched shortened episodes of the show once a week for 5 weeks. Results showed that PSRs with the reality TV characters did not increase over time and after repeated exposure. Findings furthermore suggest that PSR did not influence self-efficacy perceptions or exercise behavior over time. Parasocial breakup distress intensity was neither related to self-efficacy nor to exercise behavior. Interpretations of these findings and implications for better understanding the effects of PSRs and PSBUs are discussed.
PubMed: 37426744
DOI: 10.1177/21674795211045039 -
Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) Jun 2023Although there is enough scientific evidence to show the benefits and safety of vaccines, vaccine rates are low, while misperceptions about vaccines are on the rise. The...
Although there is enough scientific evidence to show the benefits and safety of vaccines, vaccine rates are low, while misperceptions about vaccines are on the rise. The main purposes of the current study are to 1) examine the effects of narrative vs. statistical messages on vaccine intention, 2) test the mediating role of perceived expectancies, and 3) examine the moderating roles of perceived susceptibility and misperceptions on vaccine intention. Data were collected with an online experiment through Amazon Mturk. The online experiment was conducted via Qualtrics once the study was considered exempt by the Institutional Research Board of a large University in the U.S. A total of 300 participants aged 18 and above completed the survey. Findings show that perceived expectancies mediate the relationship between message manipulation and vaccine intention. Our findings also show a three-way interaction which indicates that among individuals with high misperceptions, statistical messages are more persuasive for individuals with high perceived susceptibility, while narrative messages are more influential for individuals with low perceived susceptibility.
PubMed: 37359635
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04770-3 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Jun 2023Taxonomies and models are useful tools for defining eHealth content and intervention features, enabling comparison and analysis of research across studies and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Taxonomies and models are useful tools for defining eHealth content and intervention features, enabling comparison and analysis of research across studies and disciplines. The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) was developed to decrease ambiguity in defining specific characteristics inherent in health interventions, but it was developed outside the context of digital technology. In contrast, the Persuasive System Design Model (PSDM) was developed to define and evaluate the persuasive content in software solutions but did not have a specific focus on health. Both the BCTTv1 and PSDM have been used to define eHealth interventions in the literature, with some researchers combining or reducing the taxonomies to simplify their application. It is unclear how well the taxonomies accurately define eHealth and whether they should be used alone or in combination.
OBJECTIVE
This scoping review explored how the BCTTv1 and PSDM capture the content and intervention features of parent-focused eHealth as part of a program of studies investigating the use of technology to support parents with therapy home programs for children with special health care needs. It explored the active ingredients and persuasive technology features commonly found in parent-focused eHealth interventions for children with special health care needs and how the descriptions overlap and interact with respect to the BCTTv1 and PSDM taxonomies.
METHODS
A scoping review was used to clarify concepts in the literature related to these taxonomies. Keywords related to parent-focused eHealth were defined and used to systematically search several electronic databases for parent-focused eHealth publications. Publications referencing the same intervention were combined to provide comprehensive intervention details. The data set was coded using codebooks developed from the taxonomies in NVivo (version 12; QSR International) and qualitatively analyzed using matrix queries.
RESULTS
The systematic search found 23 parent-focused eHealth interventions described in 42 articles from various countries; delivered to parents with children aged 1 to 18 years; and covering medical, behavioral, and developmental issues. The predominant active ingredients and intervention features in parent-focused eHealth were concerned with teaching parents behavioral skills, encouraging them to practice and monitor the new skills, and tracking the outcomes of performing the new skills. No category had a complete set of active ingredients or intervention features coded. The two taxonomies conceptually captured different constructs even when their labels appeared to overlap in meaning. In addition, coding by category missed important active ingredients and intervention features.
CONCLUSIONS
The taxonomies were found to code different constructs related to behavior change and persuasive technology, discouraging the merging or reduction of the taxonomies. This scoping review highlighted the benefit of using both taxonomies in their entirety to capture active ingredients and intervention features important for comparing and analyzing eHealth across different studies and disciplines.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)
RR2-doi.org/10.15619/nzjp/47.1.05.
Topics: Child; Humans; Behavior Therapy; Delivery of Health Care; Persuasive Communication; Technology; Telemedicine
PubMed: 37342082
DOI: 10.2196/42083 -
Journal of Empirical Research on Human... Oct 2023The social and ethical implications of large-scale biobank donor recruitment campaigns have remained understudied. We use two recent campaigns of the population-based...
The social and ethical implications of large-scale biobank donor recruitment campaigns have remained understudied. We use two recent campaigns of the population-based genetic biobank in Estonia as an example to demonstrate how campaign spokespersons try to persuade potential donors by appealing to (1) gaining self-knowledge, (2) gaining control over one's health, (3) fear of illness, (4) contributing to healthcare, (5) contributing to science, and (6) contributing to one's country. While these campaigns succeeded in recruiting 15 percent of the country's adult population as donors, we explain how the use of some of these appeals may (a) create unrealistic expectations regarding the benefits donors could receive and (b) conceal the risks regarding health data. The study lays a necessary groundwork for future empirical research on the ethics of biobank recruitment campaigns.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Biological Specimen Banks; Persuasive Communication; Fear; Tissue Donors
PubMed: 37337739
DOI: 10.1177/15562646231181028 -
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 -
PloS One 2023Achieving high COVID-19 vaccine booster coverage is an ongoing global challenge. Health authorities need evidence about effective communication interventions to improve... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION
Achieving high COVID-19 vaccine booster coverage is an ongoing global challenge. Health authorities need evidence about effective communication interventions to improve acceptance and uptake. This study aimed to test effects of persuasive messages about COVID-19 vaccine booster doses on intention to vaccinate amongst eligible adults in Australia.
METHODS
In this online randomised controlled trial, adult participants received one of four intervention messages or a control message. The control message provided information about booster dose eligibility. Intervention messages added to the control message, each using a different persuasive strategy, including: emphasising personal health benefits of booster doses, community health benefits, non-health benefits, and personal agency in choosing vaccination. After the intervention, participants answered items about COVID-19 booster vaccine intention and beliefs. Intervention groups were compared to the control using tests of two proportions; differences of ≥5 percentage points were deemed clinically significant. A sub-group analysis was conducted among hesitant participants.
RESULTS
Of the 487 consenting and randomised participants, 442 (90.8%) completed the experiment and were included in the analysis. Participants viewing messages emphasising non-health benefits had the highest intention compared to those who viewed the control message (percentage point diff: 9.0, 95% CI -0.8, 18.8, p = 0.071). Intention was even higher among hesitant individuals in this intervention group compared to the control group (percentage point diff: 15.6, 95% CI -6.0, 37.3, p = 0.150). Conversely, intention was lower among hesitant individuals who viewed messages emphasising personal agency compared to the control group (percentage point diff: -10.8, 95% CI -33.0, 11.4, p = 0.330), although evidence in support of these findings is weak.
CONCLUSION
Health authorities should highlight non-health benefits to encourage COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake but use messages emphasising personal agency with caution. These findings can inform communication message development and strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake. Clinical trial registration: Registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622001404718); trial webpage: https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12622001404718.aspx.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Australia; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Intention; Vaccination; Persuasive Communication
PubMed: 37267399
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286799 -
ELife May 2023Authors rely on a range of devices and techniques to attract and maintain the interest of readers, and to convince them of the merits of the author's point of view....
Authors rely on a range of devices and techniques to attract and maintain the interest of readers, and to convince them of the merits of the author's point of view. However, when writing a scientific article, authors must use these 'persuasive communication devices' carefully. In particular, they must be explicit about the limitations of their work, avoid obfuscation, and resist the temptation to oversell their results. Here we discuss a list of persuasive communication devices and we encourage authors, as well as reviewers and editors, to think carefully about their use.
Topics: Publishing; Persuasive Communication; Reading; Writing
PubMed: 37227768
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.88654 -
Vaccine Jun 2023Even though the immediate urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have passed, many countries did not reach the vaccination rates they initially aimed for. The...
Even though the immediate urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have passed, many countries did not reach the vaccination rates they initially aimed for. The stagnation in vaccine uptake during the height of the pandemic presented policy makers with a challenge that remains unresolved and is paramount for future pandemics and other crises: How to convince the (often not insubstantial) unvaccinated proportion of the population of the benefits of a vaccination? Designing more successful communication strategies, both in retrospect and looking ahead, requires a differentiated understanding of the concerns of those that remain unvaccinated. Guided by the elaboration likelihood model, this paper has two objectives: First, it explores by means of a latent class analysis how unvaccinated individuals might be characterized by their attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination. Second, we investigate to what extent (i) varying types of evidence (none/anecdotal/statistical) can be employed by (ii) different types of communicators (scientists/politicians) to improve vaccination intentions across these subgroups. To address these questions, we conducted an original online survey experiment among 2145 unvaccinated respondents from Germany where a substantial population share remains unvaccinated. The results suggest three different subgroups, which differ regarding their openness towards a COVID-19 vaccination: Vaccination opponents (N = 1184), sceptics (N = 572) and those in principle receptive (N = 389) to be vaccinated. On average, neither the provision of statistical nor anecdotal evidence increased the persuasiveness of information regarding the efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine. However, scientists were, on average, more persuasive than politicians (relatively increase vaccination intentions by 0.184 standard deviations). With respect to heterogeneous treatment effects among the three subgroups, vaccination opponents seem largely unreachable, while sceptics value information by scientists, particularly if supported by anecdotal evidence (relatively increases intentions by 0.45 standard deviations). Receptives seem much more responsive to statistical evidence from politicians (relatively increases intentions by 0.38 standard deviations).
Topics: Humans; Vaccination Hesitancy; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Pandemics; Administrative Personnel; Vaccination
PubMed: 37221120
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.03.026 -
Scientific Data May 2023The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public...
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public health throughout the pandemic has been through persuasive messaging and collective behaviour change. To help scholars better understand the social and moral psychology behind public health behaviour, we present a dataset comprising of 51,404 individuals from 69 countries. This dataset was collected for the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 project (ICSMP COVID-19). This social science survey invited participants around the world to complete a series of moral and psychological measures and public health attitudes about COVID-19 during an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and June 2020). The survey included seven broad categories of questions: COVID-19 beliefs and compliance behaviours; identity and social attitudes; ideology; health and well-being; moral beliefs and motivation; personality traits; and demographic variables. We report both raw and cleaned data, along with all survey materials, data visualisations, and psychometric evaluations of key variables.
Topics: Humans; Attitude; COVID-19; Morals; Pandemics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Social Change; Socioeconomic Factors
PubMed: 37169799
DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02080-8 -
Psychological Science in the Public... Dec 2022Stories have played a central role in human social and political life for thousands of years. Despite their ubiquity in culture and custom, however, they feature only...
Stories have played a central role in human social and political life for thousands of years. Despite their ubiquity in culture and custom, however, they feature only peripherally in formal government policymaking. Government policy has tended to rely on tools with more predictable responses-incentives, transfers, and prohibitions. We argue that stories can and should feature more centrally in government policymaking. We lay out how stories can make policy more effective, specifying how they complement established policy tools. We provide a working definition of stories' key characteristics, contrasting them with other forms of communication. We trace the evolution of stories from their ancient origins to their role in mediating the impact of modern technologies on society. We then provide an account of the mechanisms underlying stories' impacts on their audiences. We conclude by describing three functions of stories-learning, persuasion, and collective action.
Topics: Humans; Communication; Culture; Government; Learning; Persuasive Communication
PubMed: 37161872
DOI: 10.1177/15291006231161337