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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jeffrey Niederdeppe, MA, Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-573-5824, jniederdeppe@asc.upenn.edu, Kevin Davis, MS, Health Promotion Research, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, and Matthew C. Farrelly, Health, Social, and Economic Research, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

Research suggests that specific stylistic message features have meaningful implications for message recall. Laboratory experiments have shown that ad characteristics such as cuts and intense images increase visual attention and enhance recall of televised messages. It has been suggested that attention to a televised message is a function of the correspondence between one's “need for sensation” (NFS) and the level of stimulation provided by the message. NFS is the desire to seek “varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences.” Thus individuals with a high NFS may be more likely to recall highly stimulating messages. However, it has also been suggested that overuse of stylistic features may expend cognitive resources and reduce recall of the central message.

This study combines ad content analysis (n=45 ads) with survey data from the Legacy Media Tracking Surveys (n=32,977 teens), a national survey used to evaluate the “truth” antismoking campaign. Our objectives were: (1) to identify the effects of specific visual, audio, and format features on recall of antitobacco ads; and (2) to test whether these features have stronger effects among youth with a high NFS. We tested for the effects of edits, unrelated cuts, intense images, sound saturation, loud and fast music, acting, and surprise endings. Consistent with prior research, five of the seven hypothesized stylistic features increased the likelihood of ad recall. However, the magnitude of these associations did not differ by NFS, contrary to prior research. The results underscore the importance of stylistic considerations in designing health marketing campaigns.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand the relationships between specific visual, audio, and format features and recall of televised antitobacco advertisements and to assess whether these associations are moderated by youths’ need for sensation.

Keywords: Health Communications, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No