The influence of persuasive messages on healthy eating habits: a test of the Theory of Reasoned Action when attitudes and subjective norm are targeted for change

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jabr.12106Messages designed to improve healthy eating habits are all around us, often aiming to change our attitudes and perceptions toward specific eating behaviors so that we will adopt better habits. This study provides a test of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to better understand the impact of influence messages on healthy eating. This longitudinal cohort study examined the TRA within two systems of change: (1) when attitudes and (2) subjective norms were influenced by messages to increase fruit/vegetable consumption and prevent meal skipping. Participants were assigned randomly to one of three messages: (1) no‐message control group, (2) attitude message, and (3) subjective norm message. For fruit/vegetable consumption, when attitude or subjective norm changed, TRA's predictions were not consistent with the data. With no change present, TRA's predictions were consistent with control group data. These results were not replicated with skipping meals. The only model to predict accurately participants' skipped meals was a simple causal string (attitudes impacted intentions which predicted behavior). Persuasive messages can influence healthy eating behavior, but the mechanism is not consistent with TRA predictions. Also, using messages to influence healthy eating subjective norms proved difficult

Military Members’ Perceptions of Social Norms About Mental Health for Combat Stress

The article of record may be found at https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1630039Low rates of mental health help-seeking for combat stress are reported in prior literature, with perceptions of stigma as a common factor preventing help-seeking. This article explores the Social Norms Approach as a message strategy for increasing help-seeking and encouragement of help-seeking among military members. The Social Norms Approach specifies messages for correcting misperceptions about prevalence and social approval of health behaviors. This article examined whether military members have misperceptions about the approval of seeking help and encouraging others to seek help for combat stress. Surveys with service members at an Army installation, a Naval station, and a convenience sample were used to assess military members’ perceptions of norms about whether others would encourage or approve of help-seeking, as well as their own willingness and approval of encouraging others to seek help. Results indicated misperceptions in norms, with a larger percentage of participants personally approving or indicating they would encourage others to seek help than their perceptions of what others would approve of or do. Results are discussed in terms of stigma research and campaign message interventions

Is Women's Multivitamin Consumption Reasoned, Planned, or Socially Cognitive? A Test of Three Social Influence Models

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects that affect approximately 3,000 pregnancies in the United States each year. Consuming the B vitamin folic acid can reduce the incidence of NTDs 50%–70%, and recent efforts to reduce NTD rates have focused on increasing the number of childbearing-aged women who take a vitamin containing folic acid every day. Future declines in NTDs must come from creative and compelling education and communication campaigns that will increase the number of childbearing-aged women who consume these vitamins. Therefore, conducting theory-guided research on multivitamin use is essential given the lack of knowledge surrounding this behavior. To this end, the current study tested three social influence models—the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behavior, and social cognitive theory—to determine which theory, or theoretical constructs, best predict(s) multivitamin use and might be used to guide message design to increase folic acid use. A nationally representative sample of 1,048 women of childbearing age was utilized, and results indicated that multivitamin use was best predicted by constructs from the theory of planned behavio

Risky Business or Managed Event? Perceptions of Power and Deception in the Workplace

The workplace poses unique challenges for liars, especially for deception between supervisors and subordinates. To that end, the current study examined deception in the workplace between supervisors and subordinates to explore perceptions of deception and the relationship between power and deception. Participants were recruited from organizations and universities and reported their perceptions of power in their manager-subordinate relationships, perceptions of deception, and perceptions of the risk involved with a recent lie they told to a supervisor or subordinate. Results indicated that the perceived power difference between supervisors and subordinates was substantial, power impacted perceptions of deception in the workplace and how deceptive messages were crafted, and very few of the reported lies were detected. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed

Use of the Extended Parallel Processing Model to Evaluate Culturally Relevant Kernicterus Messages

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2011.06.003Kernicterus is a serious but easily preventable disease in newborns that is not well-known even by some health care professionals. This study evaluated a parent guide and poster on kernicterus awareness and prevention generated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Extended Parallel Processing Model was used as a framework for creating the interview protocol and analyzing the results.Funding for this project was awarded to the Health and Risk Communication Center at Michigan State University by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Simulation of a Dynamic Theory of Reasoned Action

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1046878114562930Background. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is invoked frequently when social science scholars examine messages, affect, cognition, and action. Nevertheless, the fact that the TRA is a cross-sectional model limits its utility as an explanatory mechanism for those who study relationships among these variables as they change over time. This essay addresses this limitation by developing three versions of a Dynamic Theory of Reasoned Action (DTRA). Method. Simulations were conducted to examine the properties of these varying DTRA models. The extent of autoregression was varied in these simulations, and the subsequent effects on the size and stability of the model parameters, the fit of the cross-sectional TRA, and the distributional properties of the variables that comprise the model were assessed. Results. Results indicate that in the absence of an external shock (such as a persuasive message), these models reach equilibrium, and that trials to equilibrium increase as the autoregression parameters increase. The TRA fits perfectly at equilibrium, but may fail when the system is not in equilibrium, even when the DTRA fits perfectly. Finally, although starting with seed distributions closely approximating normality, distributional properties depart decidedly from normality over trials

Developing effective campaign messages to prevent neural tube defects: a qualitative assessment of women's reactions to advertising concepts

The article of record may be found at https://doi.org/10.I080/1118111730802659137The incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs), serious birth defects of the brain and spine that affect approximately 3,000 pregnancies in the United States each year, can be reduced by 50ﾖ70% with daily periconceptional consumption of the B vitamin folic acid. Two studies were designed to assess college women's reactions to and perceptions of potential campaign advertising concepts derived from preproduction formative research to increase folic acid consumption through the use of a daily multivitamin. Study one assessed draft advertising concepts in eight focus groups (N = 71) composed of college-enrolled women in four cities geographically dispersed across the United States. Based on study one results, the concepts were revised and reassessed in study two with a different sample (eight focus groups; N = 73) of college women in the same four cities. Results indicated that participants generally responded favorably to concepts in each of the two studies, and provided insight into individual concepts to increase their overall appeal and effectiveness. The specific findings and implications of these results are discussed.This project was made possible through a partnership with the CDC Foundation. MOA#12494- 0I00-05.This project was made possible through a partnership with the CDC Foundation. MOA#12494- 0I00-05