Framing Youth Vaping Prevention Messages: The Role of Uncertainty Tolerance

ABSTRACT

Vaping is the most prevalent form of tobacco use among youth in the United States. Motivated by the certainty effect in prospect theory, this study investigated the role of uncertainty tolerance as a potential moderator of the effects of gain- vs. loss-framed text messages for youth vaping prevention. Youth susceptible to future vaping (N = 536) were randomized to view a series of eight gain- or loss-framed text messages about the health consequences of vaping. Cognitive and affective responses to the messages as well as beliefs, attitude, and intentions about vaping were assessed post-exposure. Results showed an overall advantage of the loss frame on several outcomes. Additionally, an interaction between framing and uncertainty tolerance was observed for most outcomes such that the loss frame was more effective for those high in uncertainty tolerance, while the gain frame held a slight edge for those low in uncertainty tolerance. Findings from this study have implications for further engaging prospect theory in message framing research. They may also inform audience segmentation and targeted message design for youth vaping prevention efforts.

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Andrea Malterud in early phases of the study.

Notes

1. In preliminary analyses, uncertainty tolerance was treated as a continuous covariate and allowed to interact with framing. The pattern of results was similar to those obtained when need for certainty was dichotomized and treated as a fixed factor. The latter is reported in this manuscript for ease of presentation.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (#8521239 - FP00009039_SA003).