Increasing Receptivity to Messages about E-Cigarette Risk Using Vicarious-Affirmation

Abstract

Empirical research has found that self-affirmation that precedes exposure to threatening information can reduce resistance and exert a positive effect on attitudes and beliefs. However, the effortful methods currently used to induce self-affirmation (e.g., writing an essay about an important value) limit its applicability. Informed by narrative persuasion literature, we present an experimental study designed to assess the potential of vicarious-affirmation (i.e., affirmation through a relevant exemplar in a fictional story) to influence perceived risk and behavioral intent among college-age electronic cigarette users (N = 832). Similar to traditional self-affirmation, a story that affirmed its character (by winning an award) before introducing tobacco-related risk information, led to greater perceived risk and increased intentions to stop using electronic-cigarettes. Identification with the character led to more positive self-appraisal, which, in turn, reduced message derogation and enhanced perceived risk. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and applied implications of integrating narrative persuasion with self-affirmation theory.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Jon-Patrick Allem, Maryann Pentz, and Jonathan Samet for their comments on a previous version of this manuscript. In addition, they would like to thank Wendy Meltzer and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and guidance throughout the review process.

Notes

¹ Two recent meta-analyses of self-affirmation found an average weak effect (Epton et al., 2015; Sweeney & Moyer, 2015) thus an a priori power analysis, calculated using the G*Power software (Faul, Erdfelder, Lang, & Buchner, 2007) determined that approximately 850 participants were required for detecting a weak effect (α = .05, 1-β = .80, f = .12).

² While some studies instruct participants to engage in a non-self-focused task filler task, it has been argued that any reflective exercise can be used to self-affirm (Cohen, Aronson, & Steele, 2000). In light of this concern, we did not employ any filler tasks.

³ An alternative, unobtrusive, approach checks the success of a self-affirmation manipulation by analyzing the content of essays (e.g., Creswell et al., 2007). Keeping in mind, however, that only participants in the self-affirmation condition were instructed to write essays, the scores from the content analysis could not be tested against comparable manipulation check measures in other conditions.

⁴ The no-message control condition was excluded from all serial mediation models thus reducing the effective sample size to n = 734.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the FDA Centerfor Tobacco Products and the National Cancer Institute of the NationalInstitutes of Health under Award Number P50CA180905. The content issolely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily representthe official views of the NIH or the Food and Drug Administration.