Lecture 9

Non-intentional

Unconscious processing

Freud: Popularized the notion that much of our mental life takes place without our awareness

The structure of our cognitive and affective systems do not give us access to many processes

We are often unable to monitor and control their execution

Many processes are automatic in some regards but controllable in others (e.g., driving)

Automatic processes

No awareness No intention High efficiency--require little

effort Uncontrollable

Smells like clean spirit

Experiment Holland, Hendriks & Aarts (2007)

One group of people ‘unobtrusively’ exposed to citrus-scented all-purpose cleaner

Consequence?

Smells like clean spirit: Results

Mental accessibility of the behavior concept of ‘cleaning’ was enhanced

Smells like clean spirit: Results

People kept their direct environment more clean

Environments that activate norms

Experiment Joly, Stapel & Lindenberg (2008) People who were exposed to a picture of someone working at a library or sitting in a restaurant were more likely to conform to norms that apply to these environments (i.e. silence and table manners)

Objects that activate norms?

Gloves that activate hygiene norms?

In short …

Studies like that of Holland et al. (2007) and Joly et al. (2008) undermine the notion that our conscious selves are in control, and points instead to a ‘sophisticated non-conscious mind, wide open to outside influences, as the real source of our decision making’ (Jarret, 2008, p. 294)

So? People are no computers We do not process all relevant health

information rationally We do not always arrive at informed

decisions about how to behave in the best interest of our health

We often use ‘cognitive shortcuts’ (see Cialdini et al., 2005) to decide what to do.

Understanding these shortcuts can provide tools to enhance effectiveness of health communication

3 basic motives & 6 categories of

shortcuts1. Authority

2. Social proof

3. Scarcity

4. Liking

5. Reciprocity

6. Consistency

1. We want to behave effectively; want to make the ‘right’ choices

2. We want to build and maintain positive social relationships

3. We try to manage the way we feel about ourselves

Authority

Role models?

Social proof: Descriptive norm

Liking•Don’t drink!•Don’t drink!

•Don’t drink!•Don’t drink!

Liking: Entertainment Education•Don’t drink!•Don’t drink!

Consistency: ‘health contract’

Managing our self-concept

So

Health communication is likely to be more effective at fostering positive behavior change when integrating these principles.

However these principles are not an alternative to providing people with substantive health information

EE: Narrative versus statistics Statistical information produces more

systematic processing, whereas narrative stimulates affective responses that serve as heuristic cues

When engaged (is not involvement in topic!) counterarguing is inhibited.

Concept of issue involvement in ELM is replaced with the concept of absorption/transportation within the context of entertainment narrative

‘Simplemente Maria’ Soap in Peru (1969) about a poor girl with

‘Singer’ sewing machine, who becomes fashion designer

Increases the sale of Singer machines (increase profit of 20 m. dollar)

Inspired Miguel Sabido to make Mexican soaps especially to promote behavior ‘Ven conmigo’ to decrease illiteracy (increase

of adult education with 63%) Another soap for awareness about birth control

(increase of 500.000 Mexican people visiting clinics for contraceptives) •Source: Aarts & van Woerkum, 2008•Source: Aarts & van Woerkum, 2008

Transportation-Imagery Model In effective EE an individual is ‘transported’

into narrative world. This is persuasive because:

Absorption leads to less counterarguing and more acceptance of story propositions

Makes story seems like actual experience, as such facilitate observational learning

High identification with or strong emotions for characters of the narrative, making their perspective have greater influence on the beliefs of the reader/listener/viewer as well as social norms

Alcohol education message

11 short movies about adolescents and alcohol/drugs Gesloopt Wie is de lul Ernesto Simon says Rot

Institutes involved

What and why?

Alcohol and use of drugs increasing problem Dutch youth

Young people do not believe in explicit adverts and/or health communication

‘Roes’: Entertainment - Education (E&E) ‘innovative’ means in the battle against alcohol and use of drugs among young people?

New insights health communication

‘From the point of view of E&E, an entertainment experience can serve as a ‘door-opener’ to process information’ (Ritterfeld & Jin, 2006, p. 249)

‘Dual process’ theories

If we want to change people’s behavior we not only have to focus on their cognitions (what they think) but also on their affect (what they feel)

Primary affective responses ‘trigger’ cognitive processing.

Simply stated

Quantitative ‘panel’ study

Qualitative ‘focus group’ study

Conclusions in short Participants were positive about Roes Especially humor (Simon says) was appreciated. Participants expected that with gruesome,

extreme and shocking scenes effect would increase

Recognition was high, however identification was low (participants knew ‘others’ like the main characters).

Counter-arguing seemed less with funny episodes. Significant effect on Subjective Norm …

In general

It is important when promoting healthy behavior to use strategies and interventions that take as much as possible the perspective and actions of the target group themselves into account in order to relate and connect to them as much as possible instead of just communicating (scientific) knowledge and injunctive norms.