The Effectiveness of Mass Communication

to Change Public Behavior

Paper: Lorien C. Abroms and Edward W. Maibach

Presenter: Lauralee Woods

Presentation Mutual evolution of Mass Media and Population Health

Proposed People and Places Framework

Components of an effective campaign

Mass Media’s influence on:

Individual-Level

Social Network Level

Community Level

Optimism in Harnessing Mass Media for Public Health

Limits of this Review

Discussion and Questions

Mutual Evolution of Mass Media and Public Health

Media:

1980’s broad cast was limited to fewer tools: (Less channels, broader audience)

1990’s “narrow cast/silver cast” (More channels, specific audience)

Specific Demographic/psychographic targets

INTERNET: Information Blast

Radically Alters Business & Information Flow

Lower cost and less gatekeepers

Public Health:

Before: Clinical focus on curing sick individuals

Now: Eocological Model for Population Health

Maibach’s People and Places Framework

Defining Mass Media and its Components Mass media: A planned Effort that disseminates old and new

messages to produce awareness or behavior change among an intended population through channels that reach a broad audience.

Components: Review of Social Marketing

Well-designed Message (Design)

Target audience

Target behavior

Intended Audience Reached (Exposure)

Frequency of Message (Exposure)

Individual-Level Media Campaigns Extreme Success: “Truth” by Department of Health and American

Legacy Foundation

Result: 22% decline in teenage and adolescent smoking

Exception to the Rule

Normal Success: Snyder and Hamiltons meta-analysis of 48 published community-wide mass media health campaigns effects:

9% increase in short-term behavior adoption

17% increase in behavior adoption with enforceable law

5% increase in behavior adoption without enforceable law

Major Players: Reach and Novelty

Examples

The “Truth” campaign Aim at youth feature

trendy youth in public demonstration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_56BQmY_e8

CDC’s VERB campaign

CDC’s graphic anti-smoking campaign ad Tips from former

smokers

Average Effects of Media Campaigns by Topic – Meta-analytic findings

The Collateral Website Allows for the individually catered message:

“advergames”

Google also sending you specific messages based on your viewing history

Few studies have been done, but promising for customer reach and brand awareness

VERBnow.com

Social Network Level

Focuses is on types and degrees of relationship support

Promotes presence of positive health leaders

Target: Friends, Parents, Older Siblings, spouses…

Success: “Talk to your kids about sex, everyone else is.” by North Carolina Department of Health

Results: A Telephone survey showed intention and behavior increased in exposed population

Social Network continued:

Less Explored target: Instead of utilizing an already existing social network, building one.

Example: Harvard mentoring project with a three-prong strategy

Public Service Announcements

Outreach to entertainment Community

News Media outreach

Results : Many donations and 700,000 calls to volunteers

Mass Media on Community Level Subcategories: Social norms, social capital, social cohesion, collective

self efficacy, income inequality, and racism.

This strategy is used more for youth.

Big Success: http://www.liveearth.org/ promoting Global warming Awareness

Results: Most watched televised Concert…Ever

Really successful? Lots of exposure, but are the ones exposed the ones who can and will make change?

Place-based Field of Influence: Local and Distal Levels

Range of Opportunities for interventions

The Laws and Policies in the Environment

The availability of products and services increased

Physical structures in the environment

Media and cultural messages in the environment

Media Advocacy: The strategic use of mass media in combination with community

organizing to advance healthy public policies

Mobilization of Public and Policy Makers

Lacks established methods for evaluation with environmental interventions

Few studies exist

Success: http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/

Result: Some response from MPAA by considering smoking in R-ratings

An example of this are also all of the ads on the news and on peoples houses during the elections.

Optimism in Harnessing Mass Media for Public Health: Plenty of exposure Opportunities (Institutue of Medicine):

Average adult is exposed 10 hours per day to media

Plenty of studies on Individual level factors

Paper Suggests:

“Big Messy” Programs- Diverse tactics

-Mass media, interpersonal communication, and outreach to policy makers

More studies needed

All should be explored by Public Health field

Okay for groups to choose one focus or the other depending on their need

Limitations: Few studies done on the subject

Questions and Concerns: Are there more examples of successful or limited media campaigns?

Is this framework sufficient for analyzing mass medias role effect on Public Health?

Should we be optimistic about Mass media as a tool for Population health promotion or is it going to create more barriers?

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DECISIONS/INTENTIONS

SOCIAL SITUATION

BIOLOGY/PERSONALITY

THE THEORY OF TRIADIC INFLUENCE

ATTITUDESTOWARD THE

BEHAVIOR

SOCIALNORMATIVE

BELIEFS

Trial Behavior

EXPERIENCES: Expectancies -- Social Reinforcements -- Psychological/Physiological

SELF-EFFICACYBEHAVIORAL

CONTROL

Nurture/CulturalBiological/NatureIntrapersonal Stream Social/Normative Stream Cultural/Attitudinal Stream

Values/Evaluations

Knowledge/Expectancies

PerceivedNorms

Information/Opportunities

InterpersonalBonding

SocialCompetence

Interactions w/Social Instit’s

Others’Beh & Atts

Motivationto Comply

Skills:Social+General

Sense ofSelf/Control

SelfDetermination

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DistalInfluences

ProximalPredictors

Levels ofCausation

UltimateCauses

Social/Personal Nexus

Expectancies & Evaluations

Affect andCognitions

Decisions

Experiences

a

b c d e

f

g h i

jk m n

o

p q r

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t u v w

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Related BehaviorsJ

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CF

IB E HA D G

CULTURALENVIRONMENT