Resolving the Do/Do Not Debate: Communication Perspective to Enhance Sustainable Lifestyles

Clear and memorable environmental messaging has been scarce. Recycling contamination is an urgent environmental concern because the public is confused about which items can and cannot be recycled. Environmental campaigns utilizing message framing, a method used to emphasize either the benefits of performing or loss of avoiding an action, may help combat this problem. We conducted an online study (n = 1199) and randomly assigned participants to view positively or negatively framed (do vs. do not) messages. Results revealed that participants who viewed negative messages with do not descriptors increased recycling intention, mediated by increased recycling contamination knowledge and recycling efficacy (95% CI: 0.03, 0.08). The findings suggest that recycling instructions may be more effective when messages are framed negatively using inhibitive descriptors. Results of this study can inform development of environmental campaigns to improve sustainable lifestyles.

The effects of health behaviours and beliefs based on message framing among patients with chronic diseases: a systematic review

ObjectiveThe effectiveness of integrating message framing into educational interventions to promote the health behaviour of patients with chronic diseases is still being debated in nursing research. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of educational interventions based on gain and loss frames on the health behaviours and beliefs of patients with chronic diseases and to identify the frame that achieves better outcomes.DesignThe systematic review was based on PRISMA guidelines for comprehensively searching, appraising and synthesising research evidence.Data sourcesWe searched the PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases for reports published from database inception until 26 March 2021.Eligibility criteriaIntervention studies, published in English, with adult patients with chronic disease conditions, and with intervention contents involved in the implementation of message framing, were considered. The outcomes were health behaviours or beliefs, such as knowledge, self-efficacy, intention or attitudes.Data extraction and synthesisData extraction and entry were performed using a predesigned data extraction form and assessed independently by two reviewers using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias I.ResultsA total of 11 intervention studies were included. We found that educational intervention based on both gain and loss frames could enhance the positive effects of communication, and promote healthy behaviours and beliefs in patients with chronic disease. Many of the studies we included here showed the advantage of loss framing messages. Due to the limited number of articles included and without quantitative analysis, this result should be interpreted cautiously.ConclusionsIntegrating message framing into health education might be a promising strategy to motivate patients with chronic disease to improve their health behaviours and beliefs. More extensive and well-designed trials are needed to support the conclusions and discuss the effective framing, moderators and mediators of framing.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021250931.

Value of cultural worldviews and message framing for the acceptability of sustainable land use zoning policies in post-conflict Somalia

Public acceptability is important for sustainable land use zoning policy to be successfully implemented. This study examined the effectiveness of tailoring messages with cultural worldviews to induce positive attitudes and improve public acceptability of sustainable land use zoning policy in a post-conflict setting. A total of 538 participants were randomly divided into three groups. Two were treatment groups and received promotional information about a hypothetical land-use zoning policy, and one group was the control group and received no promotional information. The results indicate that information provision results in positive attitudes and higher public acceptability of land use zoning policy. Arguments that correspond to participants' cultural worldviews generated more positive attitudes and higher acceptability than arguments that conflict with their cultural worldviews. This study recommends targeting messages with peoples’ cultural worldviews as an effective strategy in inducing positive attitudes and higher acceptability for sustainable land use zoning policy in Somalia.

Effects of Nature Values and Regulatory Fit of Message Framing on Message Evaluation and Actual Pro-Environmental Donations

Messages are often tailored to individual differences, as fit is believed to influence behavior. We examine the effects of regulatory fit (i.e., matching promotion/prevention message framing to people’s promotion/prevention orientation) and the priority that individuals attribute to nature values, on the evaluation of climate change messages and donations to pro-environmental charities. We measured participants’ ( n = 570) regulatory focus on ensuring positive outcomes (promotion) versus avoiding negative outcomes (prevention), and nature values. Participants evaluated a promotion- or prevention-framed text (highlighting ensuring the welfare of the environment or avoiding its destruction) and were then invited to donate part of their remuneration to pro-environmental or other charities. Participants who prioritized nature values evaluated the promotion-framed text more favorably the stronger their promotion focus was, but only endorsement of nature values predicted donations. This highlights the importance of measuring actual pro-environmental behavior, as positive message evaluations did not result in donations.

Social network analysis of Twitter data from Pakistan during COVID-19

Purpose The use of social media has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media platforms provide opportunities to share news, ideas and personal stories. Twitter is used by citizens in Pakistan to respond and comment on emerging news stories and events. However, it is not known whether Twitter played a positive or negative role in spreading updates and preventive messages during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to analyse content from Twitter during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach NodeXL was used to retrieve data using the keyword وائرس کورونا (written in Urdu and which translates to Coronavirus). The first data set (Case Study 1) was based on 10,284 Twitter users from the end of March. The second data set (Case Study 2) was based on 10,644 Twitter users from the start of April. The theoretical lens of effective message framing was used to classify the most retweeted content on Twitter. Findings Twitter was used for personal and professional projections and included certain tweets included political motives even during the unfolding health crisis. There appeared to be very few successful attempts to use Twitter as a tool for health awareness and risk communication. The empirical findings indicate that the most retweeted messages were gain-framed and can be classified as personal, informative and political in nature. Originality/value The present study provides insights likely to be of interest to researchers, health organizations, citizens, government and politicians that are interested in making more effective use of social media for the purposes of health promotion. The authors also provide novel insights into the key topics of discussions, websites and hashtags used by Pakistani Twitter users during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examining the Effects of Message Framing and Social Norms on Judgments of Earthquake Legislation

<p>To increase earthquake preparation, it is beneficial to understand the effects of different types of information used in risk communications. This thesis adapts methods that have been used with other hazards or in hypothetical situations and applies them to increasing support for current earthquake-strengthening legislation in Wellington, New Zealand (NZ). Study 1 examined valence and numerical format framing. Expressing the number of buildings affected by the legislation as a negatively-valenced frequency was found to be most effective at increasing earthquake-related judgments¹. Study 2 examined descriptive and injunctive norms and found that a range of subject factors such as age and previous knowledge of the legislation influenced the effects of norms. Study 3 used the same manipulation and included a sample from Palmerston North, where earthquake risk perceptions are lower. This study showed several clear norm effects, with the combination of both descriptive and injunctive norms the most effective at increasing support for the earthquake legislation. All three studies showed that belief in the effectiveness of strengthening earthquake-prone buildings predicted support for the legislation and lower earthquake-risk tolerance, suggesting that this could be a key perception to target in communications. Overall, these studies suggest that certain messages are more effective at increasing support for the governmental legislation, but also that framing and social norm effects on real-world issues interact with other variables such as age and knowledge which ought to be examined further to increase the usefulness of psychological research to risk communication. ¹ The results of this study have been accepted for publication as a peer-reviewed journal article: Vinnell, L. J., McClure, J., & Milfont, T. L. (in press). Do framing messages increase support for earthquake legislation? Disaster Prevention and Management, 26(1).</p>

Examining the Effects of Message Framing and Social Norms on Judgments of Earthquake Legislation

<p>To increase earthquake preparation, it is beneficial to understand the effects of different types of information used in risk communications. This thesis adapts methods that have been used with other hazards or in hypothetical situations and applies them to increasing support for current earthquake-strengthening legislation in Wellington, New Zealand (NZ). Study 1 examined valence and numerical format framing. Expressing the number of buildings affected by the legislation as a negatively-valenced frequency was found to be most effective at increasing earthquake-related judgments¹. Study 2 examined descriptive and injunctive norms and found that a range of subject factors such as age and previous knowledge of the legislation influenced the effects of norms. Study 3 used the same manipulation and included a sample from Palmerston North, where earthquake risk perceptions are lower. This study showed several clear norm effects, with the combination of both descriptive and injunctive norms the most effective at increasing support for the earthquake legislation. All three studies showed that belief in the effectiveness of strengthening earthquake-prone buildings predicted support for the legislation and lower earthquake-risk tolerance, suggesting that this could be a key perception to target in communications. Overall, these studies suggest that certain messages are more effective at increasing support for the governmental legislation, but also that framing and social norm effects on real-world issues interact with other variables such as age and knowledge which ought to be examined further to increase the usefulness of psychological research to risk communication. ¹ The results of this study have been accepted for publication as a peer-reviewed journal article: Vinnell, L. J., McClure, J., & Milfont, T. L. (in press). Do framing messages increase support for earthquake legislation? Disaster Prevention and Management, 26(1).</p>