Smoker identity and resistance to antismoking campaigns: The role of group entitativity

Past works have shown that identification with smokers predicts increased resistance to antismoking campaigns. In this research, we hypothesized that group entitativity, because it affects the extent to which people feel committed to act for their group, can mitigate this link. We conducted two studies with convenient samples of smokers that both included a measure of identification and measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2) entitativity. Then, participants read an antismoking message and, finally, reported their attitude toward smoking (Studies 1 and 2), as well as their urge to smoke and intention to quit (Study 2). Consistently, both studies revealed more resistance among high (vs. low) identifiers, but only when they perceived smokers as a highly entitative group. These findings emphasized the importance of group processes and social identity factors for accounting for responses to antismoking information.</p

Tobacco dependence and motivation to quit smoking: an identity-based framework ( Adicción al tabaco y motivación para dejar de fumar: una perspectiva identitaria )

Literature has extensively shown that tobacco dependence is negatively associated with motivation to quit smoking. In this research, we aimed to account for this negative relationship by adopting an identity-based framework. More specifically, we hypothesized that tobacco dependence constitutes an identity threat that smokers seek to manage by diminishing their motivation to quit. To assess whether such a mechanism is at work, we used a self-affirmation manipulation across two independent studies that were pooled into one (N = 308). More specifically, we asked daily smokers to report their tobacco dependence prior to manipulating self-affirmation. Then, we assessed their motivation to quit. Results demonstrated that, among high-dependent smokers, those who were self-affirmed reported higher motivation to quit than those who were not. Self-affirmation had no effect among low-dependent smokers. These findings illuminate the idea that an interpretation in terms of identity processes can offer new insights into understanding tobacco dependence and its consequences on smokers’ motivation to quit.</p

Accounting for the Consequences of Tobacco Dependence on Cravings, Self-efficacy, and Motivation to Quit: Consideration of Identity Concerns

Tobacco dependence has been found to increase smoking cravings, and reduce both self-efficacy and motivation to quit. The present research proposes to test the hypothesis that such negative consequences are related to identity concerns and should thus appear more strongly in dependent smokers with a high (vs. low) smoker identity. In two correlational studies, daily smokers (Study 1: N = 237; Study 2: N = 154) were assessed for tobacco dependence, smoker identity, self-efficacy, craving to smoke (Study 1), and motivation to quit (Study 2). Among smokers who declared to be strongly dependent, those scoring high in smoker identity reported more smoking cravings (β = .28, p = .008, 95% CI [0.084, 0.563], {\upeta}_p^{{}^2} = .03) and less motivation to quit than those scoring low (β = –.58, p = .003, 95% CI [–1.379, –0.282], {\upeta}_p^{{}^2} = .06). Smoker identity was unrelated to these variables among non-dependent smokers ( p s &gt; .40). The relationship between tobacco dependence and self-efficacy was not affected by smoker identity ( p s &gt; .45). Through these studies, we provided evidence that the implications of tobacco dependence on smoking maintenance and difficulties in quitting may be, in part, explained by identity mechanisms.</p

Does a low-cost act of support produce slacktivism or commitment? Prosocial and impression-management motives as moderators

Increase or decrease in subsequent action following a low-cost act of support for a cause can be predicted from both commitment theory and the slacktivism effect. In this paper, we report on three studies that tested type of motivation (prosocial vs. impression management) as a moderator of the effect of an initial act of support [wearing a badge (S1) and writing a slogan (S2 and 3)] has on support for blood donation. Small-scale meta-analysis performed on data from the three studies shows that activating prosocial motivation generally leads to greater support for the cause after an initial act of support compared to the control condition, while the effect from impression-management motivation can either be negative or null.</p

How to increase first‐time donors' returns? The postdonation letter's content can make a difference

Background: Retention of first-time donors is pivotal for blood collection centers. The present study built on research showing the importance of donor identity among regular donors and sought to compare the effectiveness of various communication strategies on return rate.Study design and methods: Postal letters were sent to a large sample of first-time whole blood donors (N = 1219) a few weeks following their first donation. Four versions of this letter were differently constructed in a way to boost the acquisition of donor identity (i.e., by including information about their ABO and Rh(D) blood group, emphasizing the salience of donor identity, offering a keyring with personalized information, or specifying the percentage of those sharing the same ABO and Rh(D) blood group). One version with no identity-related information served as a control condition. Participants' subsequent blood donations were tracked for 5-22 months after receiving the letter.Results: Survival analysis showed that the return rate was significantly higher among those who had received information about the percentage of the country's population with the same ABO and Rh(D) blood group (in comparison with the four other versions). There was no significant effect on the blood type rarity.Conclusion: Blood collection centers could orient the strategy employed to communicate with first-time donors to improve donors' retention. Arousing a sense of social identification with others with the same blood type may reveal a promising avenue.</p

Les interdépendances macroéconomiques en Europe

La convergence des performances économiques est l'un des objectifs essentiels que la Communauté européenne s'est fixée et qui a été atteint dans la lutte contre l'inflation engagée au début de la décennie quatre-vingt. Néanmoins, ces derniers années, les déséquilibres de balances des paiements se sont accentués entre pays excédentaires et déficitaires, alors que les interdépendances ne cessaient de se renforcer tant à travers les échanges commerciaux que par l'intégration financière. Pour évaluer ces interdépendances et leurs implications pour les politiques économiques, le CEPII et l'OFCE ont procédé à différents simulations réalisées avec le modèle MIMOSA : elles mesurent par exemple l'influence des décisions prises en RFA sur la conjoncture européenne, les effets d'une relance concertée à l'échelle de la CEE, et l'incidence d'une réévaluation du deutsche Mark sur la résorption des déséquilibres macro-économiques.Cet article a été écrit par l'équipe MIMOSA, équipe commune au CEPII et à l'OFCE