Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110043

Darleen V. Schuster, MA, MPH, CHES¹, Made' R. Wenten, MS, MPH¹, Thomas W. Valente, PhD¹, Tess Boley Cruz, PhD, MPH¹, Jennifer B. Unger, PhD¹, Michael J. Cody, PhD², and Louise A. Rohrbach, PhD, MPH¹. (1) Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, 1000 South Fremont, Unit 8, Room 5129, Alhambra, CA 91803, 626-457-6677, dschuste@usc.edu, (2) School of Communication, University of Southern California, 3502 Watt Way, 101 C Annenberg Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281

This paper presents results from a media campaign sponsored by the California Tobacco Control Program. Data were collected in 1998 from 8,226 10th graders in 18 California counties. This study explores the role of mass media generated interpersonal communication and affective responses in behavior change. Nearly all youth reported an affective response to campaign ads, with sadness and disgust as the most common reactions. Youth with emotional reactions were seven times more likely to think about not smoking and three times more likely to ask someone not to smoke. Similarly, youth who discussed ads were three times more likely to report these same positive outcomes. The joint effect of emotional reactions to and discussion of ads increased the propensity for behavior change. Youth were 10 times more inclined to think about not smoking and five times more likely to ask someone not to smoke given both an emotional reaction and discussion. A significant interaction was found when stratifying by smoking status and peer smoking. Nonsmokers with best friends who smoke were eight times more likely to think about not smoking and four times more inclined to ask someone not to smoke given an emotional reaction and discussion. A cognitive dissonance perspective suggests this group may experience an imbalance between their values and actions, prompting behavior change to achieve consistency. Results underscore the utility of using emotional appeals to engage youth in counteradvertising. Positive outcomes are more likely when messages evoke emotional reactions and encourage interpersonal dialogue.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the most common emotional reactions to anti-tobacco messages under study
• Describe the relationship between mass mediated interpersonal communication, affective reactions and behavior change
• Articulate the mechanism by which behavior change may occur among a particular audience segment

Keywords: Communication Effects, Tobacco Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.