The Role of Emotion in Youths’ Responses to Counter-Advertising

1. The Role of Emotion in Youths’ Responses to Counter-Advertising Marian Chapman Moore, University of Virginia Lisa Szykman, College of William and Mary Todd Mooradian, College of William and Mary Erin L. Sutfin, University of Virginia

2. Young adults (18-25) report the highest rate of tobacco use of any age group (NSDUH, 2002). About 40% of 18-25 year olds report smoking cigarettes in the past month (NSDUH, 2002). Cigarette smoking rates increase until 21 and then slowly decline (NSDUH, 2002). Prevalence of Tobacco Use

3. Increase in anti-smoking campaigns, including advertising, due to Master Settlement Agreement Results vary: why? Variation in campaign objective Variation in target group Variation in thematic approaches Health consequences (short & long term) Cosmetic consequences Social consequences Industry Manipulation Anti-Smoking Advertising …and so forth

4. Main goal of current mass media campaigns is prevention For the substantial number of young adults who already smoke, the issue is cessation Can ads that focus on prevention also work for cessation? Prevention vs. Cessation

5. Reactance Theory (Brehm, 1966). When people feel their freedom is threatened, they experience reactance In order to reduce the reactance, they perform the threatened behavior Persuasion Knowledge Model (Friedstadt & Wright, 1994). Suggests that smokers may recognize anti-smoking ads as a persuasion attempt Smokers may counter-argue the ad to protect their existing attitudes Social Influences—e.g., friends, family members who smoke, importance of tobacco to the community Smokers vs. Non-Smokers

6. Possible Antecedents of Youths’ Responses to Tobacco Counter-Advertising • ENVIRONMENTAL • FACTORS: • Micro: • Parenting Style • Family Characteristics • Macro: • Demographics • Socio-demographics • ADVERTISEMENT: • Message: • Content • Consistency • Clarity • Source, source credibility • Ad Execution: • Age of Spokesperson • Depiction of smoking behavior • DOMAIN-SPECIFIC • ENVIRONMENTAL • FACTORS • “Parental Consumer • Education Role” • Parents’ Smoking • Experience • Reside in tobacco producing • region ADVERTISING RESPONSES: Cognitive and Emotional Reactions to the ad; • ENDURING • INDIVIDUAL FACTORS: • Temperament • Socialization Stage • Personality • Self Esteem • Self Monitoring • (Trait) • DOMAIN-SPECIFIC • INDIVIDUAL FACTORS: • Persuasion Knowledge • Model: • Topic Knowledge and Attitude • (attitude toward smoking,smokers, • cigarette companies, etc) • Persuasion Knowledge • Agent Knowledge and Attitude • Other: • Sophistication • Skepticism • Susceptibility to Influence • Self Monitoring (State) • Stage of smoking acquisition • ADVERTISING EFFECTS: • Beliefs about smoking, smokers, • tobacco companies • Attitude smoking, smokers, tobacco • companies; • Intention to initiate, increase, • decrease or attempt to quit smoking

7. Possible Antecedents of Youths’ Responses to Tobacco Counter-Advertising: Initial Study • DOMAIN-SPECIFIC • INDIVIDUAL FACTORS: • Topic Knowledge and Attitude • (attitude toward smoking, • cigarette companies, etc) • Stage of smoking • acquisition • AD: • Theme • Prior • Exposure ADVERTISING RESPONSES: Cognitive and Emotional Reactions to the ad • ADVERTISING EFFECTS: • Changes in beliefs about smoking, tobacco • companies • Changes in attitude toward smoking, tobacco • companies; • Changes in intention to initiate, increase, • decrease or attempt to quit smoking • DOMAIN-SPECIFIC • ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: • Parents’ Smoking • Experience • Reside in Tobacco- • Producing Region

8. Participants 125 undergraduates (66 males, 59 females) Mean age = 20.1 years (SD = 1.33) Procedure Two-phase procedure, pre & post exposure, separated by two weeks Data was collected in classrooms Method

9. Four stimulus ads were chosen to represent four thematic approaches Industry Manipulation: “Advertising Executive” Long-term Consequences: “Splode” Smoking is Addictive: “Blueman” Immediate Consequences: “Phlegm” Ads were from California, Legacy’s National “truth®” campaign, Minnesota, and Virginia Ads were interspersed with other ads from TV shows popular with the target The order of appearance of the stimulus ads was balanced across four experimental groups Stimulus Ads

10. Stimulus Ads

11. Differences in Attitude toward the Ad When Focal Ad is the First Anti-Tobacco Ad the Ss see

12. Upbeat Playful Energetic Cheerful Active Uneasy Troubled Worried Fearful Tense Disinterested Dull Bored Dubious Lonely Warm Sentimental Emotional Affectionate Peaceful What influences Attitude toward the Ad? Emotional Responses: Sampling of Categories

13. Inferred sincerity of Motives (Cognition): Attributions of sponsor’s motives: (α = .84) Smoking Status: Compilation of three questions: (ever smoke, last 30 days, are you a current smoker) (Uncovered 10 non-smokers who smoke!) Social Influences: Number of friends/parents who smoke S’s residence: Tobacco-producing region or non-tobacco producing region Controls: Ad’s position in the stimulus tape (order), S’s prior exposure to the ad (never, some, a lot) Other Potential Influences Considered

14. Dependent Variables Sincere Motives Smoker Status Upbeat Feelings Tobacco Region Warm Feelings Parents smoke Disinterested Feelings Friends smoke Uneasy Feelings Control variables Emotional and Cognitive Responses Individual Differences and Emotional Responses/Inferred Motives Independent Variables

15. Executive Ad (Industry Manipulation) Significant Relationships - Smoker Status Sincere Motives - - Upbeat Feelings + Tobacco Region - Warm Feelings Friends smoke - Uneasy Feelings

16. Blueman (Smoking is Addictive) Significant Relationships - Sincere Motives Smoker Status Upbeat Feelings + Tobacco Region - Warm Feelings - Friends smoke Uneasy Feelings

17. Splode (Long-term Consequences) Significant Relationships - Sincere Motives Smoker Status + Upbeat + Tobacco Region - Warm Parents smoke Friends smoke

18. Phlegm (Short-term Consequences) Significant Relationships - Sincere Motives Smoker Status - Upbeat + - Warm + Friends smoke

19. Attitude toward the Ad Effect of Individual Characteristics – significant relationships - Smoker Status Attitude Toward Exec Ad (Industry Manipulation) + Parents smoke

20. Attitude toward the Ad Effect of Individual Characteristics – significant relationships - Smoker Status Attitude twd Exec Ad (Industry Manipulation) + Parents smoke

21. Attitude toward the Ad Effect of Emotion/Inferred Motives – significant relationships + Attitude twd Exec Ad (Industry Manipulation) Sincere Motives + - + + Upbeat Feelings Attitude twd Blueman Ad (Smoking is addictive) + - - Warm Feelings + - Attitude twd Splode Ad (Long-term Consequences) - Disinterested Feelings - + + - Attitude twd Phlegm Ad (Short-term Consequences) Uneasy Feelings +

22. Attitude Toward Smoking Four main dimensions identified Smoking is Harmful Smoking is Cool Smoking Intentions Around Smokers However, not all had sufficient reliability in the pre-measure stage to analyze changes in attitude pre- and post-exposure Beliefs: Post Measures

23. Beliefs: Smoking is CoolPreliminary Findings Attitude toward Blueman + Smoking Cigarettes makes young people look cool. - Attitude toward Splode + - + Smoker Status + Young people who smoke have more friends. + Parents smoke + Prior exposure

24. Emotional responses to ads Have significant relationships with attitude toward individual ads Future research: investigate effect on beliefs, intentions pool data across ads (as appropriate) for more power Other influences matter, too: smoking status, region, ad theme Attitude toward smoking appears to be multidimensional, needs to be clarified Model entire system simultaneously, incorporating advertising effects on smoking (and smoking cessation) intention Contrast with intended effects/theme and Ss’ perception of intended effects/theme (prevention v. cessation) Distinguish direct and indirect effects Expand subject base to younger audience Conclusions (so far) and Next Steps