Effects Of Media Exposure On Descriptive Social Norm Perception Formation: Experimental And Observational Studies Of Why And How Repeated Exposure Matters

Although the study of social influence has been a fruitful topic of inquiry in the field of communication, past research has focused almost exclusively on its consequences, and rarely asks how people construct their perceptions of social reality in the first place. This dissertation contributes to our knowledge by thoroughly examining how people form descriptive social norm perceptions in their everyday communication environment through repeated media exposure. We investigated this question with different forms of media exposure, engaged in different lines of theoretical inquiry and utilized observational and experimental methods. The first study relied on self-report measures and examined how the effects of repeated incidental media exposure to e-cigarette use information across multiple sources may travel through interpersonal conversations and descriptive norm perceptions, and finally reach behavior decisions. We presented evidence of direct and indirect pathways with cross-sectional and longitudinal data among a nationally representative sample of youth and young adults. The second set of studies conducted online experiments to manipulate people’s exposure to repeated individual behavior cues embedded in online comments. We confirmed that people were equipped with a “quasi-statistical” sense that allowed them to automatically collect and identify the behavior choice distribution within the online comment boards, based on which they formed the behavior prevalence perceptions in the real world. The results were replicated with both e-cigarette use and Genetically Modified Food label checking behaviors. Applying similar experimental procedures, the third study comprehensively examined the exposure-norm relation with much more elaborated treatment conditions. We observed that descriptive norm perceptions responded to repeated exposure in a dose-response fashion, contingent on the size of the overall information pool. This work addresses the underlying mechanisms of descriptive social norm perception formation and how they could be better harnessed in promoting behavior changes moving forward. Our examination of user-generated contents on news websites adds to the sparse literature on the intersection between mass and interpersonal communication processes in the context of the unique dynamics and characteristics of social perception formation in our current media landscape

Vaping in the News: The Influence of News Exposure on Perceived e-Cigarette Use Norms

Background: Research has documented the impact of descriptive norms on tobacco use, but few studies have investigated how media exposure shapes e-cigarette use norms. Purpose: To examine how exposure to e-cigarette related news articles shapes individuals’ descriptive norm perceptions about real-world e-cigarette use. Method: The study implemented an experiment with 2 normative direction (high- vs. low-prevalence) x 2 exposure dosage (single- vs. double-dose) between-subject factorial design (N = 298). Analysis of variance and thematic analysis were conducted. Results: Normative direction and exposure dosage of prevalence information contained in the news articles interacted to influence perceived descriptive norms. Increasing the dosage of prevalence information enhanced descriptive norm perceptions in low-prevalence conditions only. Participants relied on institutional signals and behavioral cues to infer descriptive norms when prevalence information was absent in the news. Discussion. The study investigates the underlying mechanism of how news articles may influence normative perceptions. Translation to Health Educational Practice. Given that news media may inadvertently form social norms that are conducive to e-cigarette use behavior, Health Educators should pay attention to descriptive norms emanated from news media environment. They should also consider norm debiasing strategies and the integration of dosage of low-prevalence information into social norm messages

When Vaccine Uncertainty Prevails: Association Between Online Social Influence and COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions

Guided by the integrative model of behavioral prediction and the social identity of deindividuation effects model, this study used an online experiment (N = 322) to test a moderated-mediation model that linked exposure to user comments posted to COVID-19 vaccine news stories and vaccine intentions. The study was conducted in Vietnam when the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread to the country and the efficacy and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine were controversial in the news. Results showed that, compared with vaccine-hesitancy comments, vaccine-acceptance comments significantly increased vaccine intentions through injunctive norms, response efficacy, and attitudes. This indirect association was only significant among participants who perceived commenters as in-group members. Compared with vaccine-hesitancy comments, a mixture of comments that featured both acceptance and hesitancy significantly increased perceived norms, perceived efficacy, and attitudes. Further, comments significantly changed participants’ perceived norms, perceived efficacy, and attitudes compared with the news stories. Theoretical and practical implications are presented

Science Communication and the Problematic Impact of Descriptive Norms

When scientists or science reporters communicate research results to the public, this often involves ethical and epistemic risks. One such a risk arises when scientific claims cause cognitive or behavioral changes in the audience that contribute to the self-fulfillment of these claims. Focusing on such effects, I argue that the ethical and epistemic problem that they pose is likely to be much broader than hitherto appreciated. Moreover, it is often due to a psychological phenomenon that has been neglected in the research on science communication, namely that many people tend to conform to descriptive norms, that is, norms capturing (perceptions of) what others commonly do, think, or feel. Because of this tendency, science communication can produce significant social harm. I contend that scientists have a responsibility to assess the risk of this potential harm and consider adopting strategies to mitigate it. I introduce one such a strategy and argue that its implementation is independently well motivated by the fact that it helps improve scientific accuracy

The American Academy of Health Behavior 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting: The Science of Health Behaviors in Times of Crises

The American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) hosted its 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting at the Baker\u27s Cay Resort in Key Largo, FL March 13-16, 2022. The meeting\u27s theme was The Science of Health Behaviors in Times of Crises . This publication describes the meeting theme and includes the refereed abstracts presented at the 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting

The American Academy of Health Behavior 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting: Theory and Applications of Multiple Health Behavior Change

The American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) hosted it\u27s 19th Annual Scientific Meeting at the Westin Poinsett in Greenville, SC March 10-13, 2019. The meeting\u27s theme was Theory and Applications of Multiple Health Behavior Change. This publication describes the meeting theme and includes the refereed abstracts presented at the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting

8th Annual Research Week- Event Proceedings

8th Annual Research Wee

Covering Scientific Uncertainty In Ongoing Research

What should experts say to inform public health decision making when the available scientific evidence is uncertain? In this dissertation, I focus on this question through the lens of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), a topic of ongoing conversations in public health around risk reduction despite uncertain long-term health effects. This dissertation measures two kinds of messages about scientific uncertainty in public dialogue: 1) conflict messages, which present contradictory conclusions from experts and emphasize disagreement, and 2) limited evidence messages, those presenting uncertainty in terms of what scientists are still investigating without emphasizing disagreement. Study 1 demonstrates the prevalence of these distinct uncertainty messages in a population of newspaper articles about e-cigarettes (N=376 articles from 2017 through mid-2018). The results of this content analysis compose the stimuli of the subsequent experimental study (Study 2, N=457 current and former smokers, 4 condition mixed design). Results demonstrates these two kinds of uncertainty messages produce divergent perceptions of experts as hypothesized: conflict increases perceptions of expert disagreement, and limited evidence increases perceptions of expert uncertainty. Based on this validation, a final experimental study was undertaken to examine the hypothesis that exposure to high levels of disagreement about e-cigarettes will spillover to decrease intentions to perform recommended healthy behaviors—a so-called “spillover” hypothesized in the previous literature. Study 3 focused on N=765 current and former smokers in 5 conditions: 2 (perceived disagreement: high or low) x 2 (perceived uncertainty: high or low) + 1 (no message). Results do not reveal spillover towards more distantly related recommended health behaviors (e.g., exercise, nutrition). Results do support backlash effects after exposure to conflict, including decreased intentions to try e-cigarettes for smoking cessation (among current smokers). Conclusions from this series of studies merit further investigation of the messages available to experts communicating about scientific uncertainty, especially preceding public health crisis. Results of this work support further inquiry evaluating the cumulative impact of exposure to conflict messages over time, particularly as these cumulative effects may diverge from other ways of presenting scientific uncertainty

Evaluation of an innovative condom distribution program and point-of-access messaging targeting Black college women

Condom access is a major issue on some college campuses in the United States, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Lack of access increases risk of adverse sexual health outcomes, especially for young Black women. This project evaluated a structural intervention—a condom distribution program (via dispensers with free condoms) and point-of-access messaging (via posters on the dispensers)—on an all-female HBCU campus in North Carolina. The three-month intervention occurred between November 2015 and January 2016. We used a pre-post intervention only longitudinal panel design. We recruited N = 195 sexually active students to complete a baseline survey and N = 118 students completed the follow-up survey. The retention rate was 61%. The majority of students (89%) were aware of the dispensers. Slightly less than half (44%) used the dispensers, and 22% had those condoms with them at follow-up. Students mainly used dispensers to access condoms in the dorm bathrooms (81%, n = 42). They felt extremely comfortable using the dispensers, especially when alone. More than 70% (n = 38) who took condoms used them for sexual intercourse. Most students (77%) recognized at least one of the messages that had been posted on the dispensers. They reported that the messages made them feel confident and proud to be taking condoms, and motivated them to take a condom. More than a third of students (38%) talked about the dispensers or messages. Students were most likely to talk to their friends or sexual partners. Condom acquisition and carrying increased significantly (p <. 05) after the intervention. Perceptions of condom availability and accessibility also increased significantly (p <. 05). Perceptions of condom acceptability and norms did not change. Condom intentions and use decreased significantly among the sample as a whole. In multivariate analyses, dispenser use was associated with greater condom use. This study provides empirical evidence that condom distribution and safer sex messaging can improve perceptions of condom access (particularly availability and accessibility) and impact condom preparatory behaviors (acquisition and carrying). The findings add to our understanding of HIV/STI prevention interventions targeted at young Black women on an HBCU campus.Doctor of Philosoph