Optimizing Images for an E-Cigarette Messaging Campaign: Liking and Perceived Effectiveness

Introduction: Given the prevalence of electronic vapor product (EVP) use among young people in the US, there is a need for effective vaping education campaigns. This study tested 32 images for liking and perceived effectiveness (PE) to identify optimal images for a messaging campaign. Method: Images were selected from current campaigns, warning labels, and other images based on young adult reasons for use. Images were coded for the presence of (1) people, (2) vapor, (3) device, (4) color, and (5) similarity to warning label image. Young adults (n = 200) were recruited from the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Participants were randomly assigned to view and rate six of the 32 images on liking as well as PE, which measured the potential impact of the image to discourage vaping appeal and use. Results: Images containing vapor and/or a device or e-liquid were not well-liked but were perceived as effective in discouraging vaping (ps < 0.05). Images from warning labels were also not well-liked but were perceived as significantly more effective than those not from a warning (p < 0.01). Liking and effectiveness of features was similar for both EVP users and non-users. Discussion: Images with specific features were rated as less likable but rated as higher on PE. However, the consistency of image features rated as effective by EVP users and non-users supports the utility of similar imagery for vaping prevention and reduction efforts.

Download Full-text

Consumer perception of portable ladder hazards and warnings

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931218621094 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 411-415

Author(s):

Kenneth Nemire

Keyword(s):

Significant Relationship ◽

Online Survey ◽

Consumer Perceptions ◽

Consumer Perception ◽

Mechanical Turk ◽

Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽

Future Research ◽

Warning Labels ◽

Preliminary Assessment ◽

Survey Tool

This article describes the results of a survey intended as a preliminary assessment of consumer perceptions of the hazardousness of portable ladders and the warning labels provided on portable ladders. One hundred ten participants responded to an online survey tool called Amazon Mechanical Turk. The survey collected information about participants’ use of ladders, their ratings of familiarity with ladders, perceived hazardousness of portable ladders, and perception of warning labels on portable ladders. Results indicated a small but significant relationship between familiarity with ladders and their perceived hazardousness, and that participants thought that people should be warned about the hazards associated with ladder use. Implications for future research about consumer perception of portable ladder hazards and warnings are described.

Download Full-text

Testing the Waters: Behavior across Participant Pools

The American Economic Review ◽

10.1257/aer.20181065 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 111 (2) ◽

pp. 687-719

Author(s):

Erik Snowberg ◽

Leeat Yariv

Keyword(s):

External Validity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Student Population ◽

University Student ◽

Mechanical Turk ◽

Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽

Lab Experiments ◽

The Us ◽

Small Set ◽

Observer Effects

We leverage a large-scale incentivized survey eliciting behaviors from (almost) an entire undergraduate university student population, a representative sample of the US population, and Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) to address concerns about the external validity of experiments with student participants. Behavior in the student population offers bounds on behaviors in other populations, and correlations between behaviors are similar across samples. Furthermore, non-student samples exhibit higher levels of noise. Adding historical lab participation data, we find a small set of attributes over which lab participants differ from non-lab participants. An additional set of lab experiments shows no evidence of observer effects. (JEL C83, D90, D91)

Download Full-text

US young adults’ perceived effectiveness of draft pictorial e-cigarette warning labels

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054802 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (e1) ◽

pp. e49-e51 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jennah Sontag ◽

Michelle T Bover Manderski ◽

David Hammond ◽

Olivia A Wackowski

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Young People ◽

Electronic Cigarettes ◽

Nicotine Addiction ◽

Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽

Future Research ◽

Perceived Effectiveness ◽

Warning Labels ◽

Pictorial Warnings ◽

The Usa

SignificanceResearch shows that pictorial warning labels for cigarettes are more effective than text-only warnings, and preliminary work suggests that pictorial warnings could also be considered for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Pictorial warnings may be important for maximising their effectiveness among young people and enhancing the salience of the single nicotine addiction warning required for e-cigarettes to date in the USA. This study collected pilot data about the perceived effectiveness of draft e-cigarette pictorial warnings.MethodsParticipants were 876 young adults (ages 18–29) recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk who completed an online e-cigarette survey in 2018. Participants viewed and ranked five versions of the same e-cigarette nicotine addiction warning message—four pictorial and one text-only–on their perceived noticeability, likelihood of capturing young people’s attention, memorability, relevance to the addiction warning text and overall effectiveness in warning people about e-cigarette risks. For each outcome, presentation of the five warning versions was randomised. Pictorials included symbolic images of risk and addiction, and of priority audiences for the warning (ie, young people).ResultsFor all outcomes, pictorial warnings were ranked higher than the text-only warning, and the warning using a yellow triangle caution icon was ranked highest for all outcomes. The text-only warning was ranked as the least likely to be effective for all four outcomes in which it was assessed. Trends were similar for current e-cigarette users and non-users.ConclusionsFuture research should assess perceptions and the appropriateness of pictorial imagery for e-cigarette warnings and test their efficacy against text-only warnings experimentally.

Download Full-text

Anomalous responses on Amazon Mechanical Turk: An Indian perspective

Research & Politics ◽

10.1177/20531680211016971 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 205316802110169

Author(s):

William O’Brochta ◽

Sunita Parikh

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Data Quality ◽

The United States ◽

Self Report ◽

Mechanical Turk ◽

Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽

Foreign Workers ◽

Improve Data Quality ◽

The Us ◽

Indian Perspective

What can researchers do to address anomalous survey and experimental responses on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)? Much of the anomalous response problem has been traced to India, and several survey and technological techniques have been developed to detect foreign workers accessing US-specific surveys. We survey Indian MTurkers and find that 26% pass survey questions used to detect foreign workers, and 3% claim to be located in the United States. We show that restricting respondents to Master Workers and removing the US location requirement encourages Indian MTurkers to correctly self-report their location, helping to reduce anomalous responses among US respondents and to improve data quality. Based on these results, we outline key considerations for researchers seeking to maximize data quality while keeping costs low.

Download Full-text

Health and Economic Impacts of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Warning Label in the US: A Micro-Simulation Study

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa051_012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 715-715

Author(s):

Yujin Lee ◽

David Kim ◽

Junxiu Liu ◽

Matti Marklund ◽

Parke Wilde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Costs ◽

Economic Impacts ◽

Warning Label ◽

Warning Labels ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽

Policy Effects ◽

Sweetened Beverage ◽

The Us ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objectives Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Health warning labels on SSBs have been proposed in the US to discourage consumption. Yet, the potential health and economic impacts of SSB warning labels have not been quantified. We aimed to estimate the health and economic impacts of a SSB warning label in the US. Methods We used the validated Tufts Diabetes-CVD Microsimulation Model to estimate the impact of implementing a national SSB warning label in the U.S., compared to current status quo, on incident diabetes and CVD. Model inputs included nationally representative demographic, clinical, and SSB intake data from NHANES 2015–2016; policy effects on consumer intakes and SSB-disease effects from meta-analyses; disease data from CDC wonder database; and policy implementation costs and healthcare costs from established sources. Findings were evaluated over 10 years and a lifetime horizon, and costs (in 2019 USD) discounted at 3% annually. NHANES sampling weights were used to translate model estimates to nationally representative population estimates; and alternative scenarios evaluated smaller policy effects on consumer consumption, derived from prior interventional studies testing effects of SSB warning labels. Results Among 138 million US adults aged 40–79 years at baseline, 56% were SSB consumers, with mean intake of 1.10 servings/day (95% CI, 0.97, 1.23). Over 10 years, the SSB warning label was estimated to prevent 254 thousand (145, 362) incident CVD events and 231 thousand (–45, 507) diabetes cases, with $30.6 billion (29.2, 32.0) savings in healthcare costs. Over lifetime, corresponding values were 708 thousand (328, 1087), 422 thousand (77, 767), and $78.3 billion (43.8, 112.8), respectively. In sensitivity analyses with a 40% smaller policy effect size, corresponding lifetime values were 348 thousand (38, 658), 246 thousand (–98, 590), and $40.8 billion (31.5, 50.0) over a lifetime, respectively. Conclusions Implementing a national SSB warning label could generate substantial health gains and cost savings for the US population. Funding Sources NIH, NHLBI.

Download Full-text