Resistance to Persuasion: Examining the Influence of Political Ideology on COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Hesitancy

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the death of over 625,000 Americans and it continues to have monumental consequences worldwide for economic, social and individual life. An effective vaccine program is considered vital to securing collective immunity; yet, many Americans are still hesitant to be vaccinated. This two-part study first experimentally tests two message frames (inoculation vs control) designed to counter resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine with individuals who are initially supportive, neutral or opposed to it. Based on a key finding from Study 1 (that political ideology appears to be impacting receptiveness to the messaging), Study 2 examines response to these same two messages using either a politicized (Dr. Anthony Fauci) or neutral source to test the mediating effects of political ideology. Results contribute to existing literature by examining inoculation effects in a new context (“debunking” misinformation vs “prebunking” to bolster supportive attitudes), and demonstrate how psychological reactance is working in tandem with inoculation to influence attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine.

Evidence for effective conservation fundraising: Comparing social media with traditional mailshot field experiments

Funding shortage limits conservation impact, making it vital to find effective fundraising methods. To explore how traditional and digital conservation fundraising methods perform, we conducted real-world field experiments by using mailshot and Facebook advertisements. We compare three types of message frames (Simple, Seed money, and Ecological) and found that the Seed money frame, which emphasizes the amount already donated, increased the number of donors, whereas the Ecological frame, which focuses on the fact that the fundraiser benefits threatened species, led to a relative reduction in this number. We also found that while on Facebook advertising costs were higher than donations, the opposite was true for the traditional mailshot experiment. Our findings illustrate some of the challenges associated with online fundraising, and importance of behavioral evidence to enhance effective fundraising in conservation.

Message Frame-Tailoring in Digital Health Communication: Intervention Redesign and Usability Testing (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Message frame-tailoring based on the need for autonomy is a promising strategy to improve the effectiveness of digital health communication interventions. An example of a digital health communication intervention is PAS, an online content-tailored smoking cessation program. PAS was effective in improving cessation success, but its effect sizes were small and disappeared after six months. OBJECTIVE We aim to improve the effectiveness of PAS further by incorporating message frame-tailoring, providing smokers with autonomy-supportive or controlling message frames – depending on their individual need for autonomy. METHODS Various methods were used to redesign the PAS program to include message frame-tailoring with optimal usability: usability testing, think-aloud methodology, heuristic evaluations, and an online experiment. RESULTS The most autonomy-supportive and controlling message frames were identified, the cut-off point for the need for autonomy to distinguish between people with a high and low need for autonomy was determined, and the usability was optimized. CONCLUSIONS This resulted in a redesigned digital health communication intervention that included message frame-tailoring and had optimal usability. A detailed description of the redesigning process of the PAS program is provided.

How risky is it to not wear a mask? Moral emotions increase preventative health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in India

Given the high transmission rates of the COVID-19 virus, policies aim at the maximal adoption of preventative health behaviours (PHBs) such as mask-wearing and maintaining physical distance. Moral emotions, risk perception, and message frames have previously been shown to foster favourable PHBs during various pandemics. To investigate the factors associated with PHBs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the present study explored the predictive role of moral emotions and message frames on PHBs (reduced physical contact and COVID-19 related policy support), controlling for risk perception regarding wearing a mask. Thus, a 2 (target of the message: self vs others) x 2 (valence: negative vs positive) between-groups experiment was conducted amongst Indians. Negative moral emotions predicted both (reduced) physical contact and policy support, and positive moral emotions predicted policy support. Exposure to differently framed health messages did not predict PHBs. The present study contributes to the field of health communication by highlighting the need for culture-specific practices such as focusing on the affective aspects of such communication. The results are increasingly relevant owing to the continuance of the COVID-19 crisis in India, and suggest that eliciting moral emotions throughCOVID-19 communication may significantly improve compliance with PHBs.

A Web-Based Intervention to Increase Smokers’ Intentions to Participate in a Cessation Study Offered at the Point of Lung Screening: Factorial Randomized Trial

Background Screen ASSIST is a cessation trial offered to current smokers at the point of lung cancer screening. Because of the unique position of promoting a prevention behavior (smoking cessation) within the context of a detection behavior (lung cancer screening), this study employed prospect theory to design and formatively evaluate a targeted recruitment video prior to trial launch. Objective The aim of this study was to identify which message frames were most effective at promoting intent to participate in a smoking cessation study. Methods Participants were recruited from a proprietary opt-in online panel company and randomized to a 2 (benefits of quitting vs risks of continuing to smoke at the time of lung screening; BvR) × 2 (gains of participating vs losses of not participating in a cessation study; GvL) message design experiment (N=314). The primary outcome was self-assessed intent to participate in a smoking cessation study. Message effectiveness and lung cancer risk perception measures were also collected. Analysis of variance examined the main effect of the 2 message factors and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) approach identified predictors of intent to participate in a multivariable model. A mediation analysis was conducted to determine the direct and indirect effects of message factors on intent to participate in a cessation study. Results A total of 296 participants completed the intervention. There were no significant differences in intent to participate in a smoking cessation study between message frames (P=.12 and P=.61). In the multivariable model, quit importance (P<.001), perceived message relevance (P<.001), and affective risk response (ie, worry about developing lung cancer; P<.001) were significant predictors of intent to participate. The benefits of quitting frame significantly increased affective risk response (Meanbenefits 2.60 vs Meanrisk 2.40; P=.03), which mediated the relationship between message frame and intent to participate (b=0.24; 95% CI 0.01-0.47; P=.03). Conclusions This study provides theoretical and practical guidance on how to design and evaluate proactive recruitment messages for a cessation trial. Based on our findings, we conclude that heavy smokers are more responsive to recruitment messages that frame the benefits of quitting as it increased affective risk response, which predicted greater intention to participate in a smoking cessation study.

A Web-Based Intervention to Increase Smokers’ Intentions to Participate in a Cessation Study Offered at the Point of Lung Screening: Factorial Randomized Trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Screen ASSIST is a cessation trial offered to current smokers at the point of lung cancer screening. Because of the unique position of promoting a prevention behavior (smoking cessation) within the context of a detection behavior (lung cancer screening), this study employed prospect theory to design and formatively evaluate a targeted recruitment video prior to trial launch. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify which message frames were most effective at promoting intent to participate in a smoking cessation study. METHODS Participants were recruited from a proprietary opt-in online panel company and randomized to a 2 (benefits of quitting vs risks of continuing to smoke at the time of lung screening; BvR) × 2 (gains of participating vs losses of not participating in a cessation study; GvL) message design experiment (N=314). The primary outcome was self-assessed intent to participate in a smoking cessation study. Message effectiveness and lung cancer risk perception measures were also collected. Analysis of variance examined the main effect of the 2 message factors and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) approach identified predictors of intent to participate in a multivariable model. A mediation analysis was conducted to determine the direct and indirect effects of message factors on intent to participate in a cessation study. RESULTS A total of 296 participants completed the intervention. There were no significant differences in intent to participate in a smoking cessation study between message frames (<i>P</i>=.12 and <i>P</i>=.61). In the multivariable model, quit importance (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), perceived message relevance (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), and affective risk response (ie, worry about developing lung cancer; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) were significant predictors of intent to participate. The benefits of quitting frame significantly increased affective risk response (Mean_benefits 2.60 vs Mean_risk 2.40; <i>P</i>=.03), which mediated the relationship between message frame and intent to participate (<i>b</i>=0.24; 95% CI 0.01-0.47; <i>P</i>=.03). CONCLUSIONS This study provides theoretical and practical guidance on how to design and evaluate proactive recruitment messages for a cessation trial. Based on our findings, we conclude that heavy smokers are more responsive to recruitment messages that frame the benefits of quitting as it increased affective risk response, which predicted greater intention to participate in a smoking cessation study.