Deck 13: Designing Persuasive Interventions

Question 1

Research on the use of fear appeals reveals that a high level of fear is more effective at changing behavior than appeals that use a moderate level of fear.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Providing people with information is generally sufficient motivation for behavior change.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Compared to positive messages, negative ones are thought to be easier to understand and processed more quickly.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Many college students claim that an unintended pregnancy is would be worse than getting HIV.

Question 5

Rewarding people at a large university for wearing their seatbelts was effective in increasing seatbelt use in the student population.

Question 6

Learning as much information about a painful medical procedure is better than the "ignorance is bliss" approach.

Question 7

Women who already show symptoms of eating disorders develop a stronger focus on achieving a very thin body when they receive a message regarding the signs, symptoms and dangers of eating disorders.

Question 8

Obese people who feel their weight is outside of their control benefit more from tailored messages as compared to generic ones.

Question 9

Getting "opinion leaders" to participate in group sessions about HIV prevention strategies decreases risky behavior within the whole community (i.e., local bar).

Question 10

Using nicotine gum as a means for smoking cessation is more beneficial for those high on physical dependence compared to those who were low on physical dependence.

Question 11

For people who have a parent with hypertension, receiving a message that emphasizes the dire consequences of hypertension is associated with an increased likelihood of attending a blood pressure screening than receiving information about the benefits of acting to maintain well-being.

Question 12

Most research reveals that those who receive abstinence-only education are no more likely than those in a control group to abstain from sexual activity or delay the start of sexual activity.

Question 13

All of the following messages rely on emotional appeals EXCEPT:

A) A couple becoming closer to each other after discussing condom use.
B) A speech from a physician on the routes of HIV transmission.
C) A person being told he or she tested positive for HIV infection.
D) A person with AIDS describing his fears about dying.

Question 14

Providing people with information about healthy behaviors ________ their knowledge about such behavior, but it is rarely sufficient to lead to ________.

A) increases; behavior change
B) increases; increased self-awareness
C) decreases; behavior change
D) decreases; increased self-awareness

Question 15

A recent television commercial for condoms depicts a couple become more intimate after discussing condom use. The commercial also consists of appealing music with appealing people involved in the commercial. This persuasive method is attempting to use ________ appeals.

A) fear
B) negative emotion-based
C) positive emotion-based
D) positive framing

Question 16

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Compared to positive messages, negative ones are thought to be more primary.
B) Compared to positive messages, negative ones are thought to be processed slower.
C) Compared to positive messages, negative ones are thought to be more accurately remembered.
D) Compared to positive messages, negative ones are thought to be easier to understand.

Question 17

Which of the following effects did a fear arousing mass-media campaign promoting condom use have on people?

A) It had a positive effect of knowledge
B) It had a positive effect on behavior change.
C) It increased anxiety.
D) ALL OF THE ABOVE

Question 18

Compared to those students who were told that their cholesterol was at a low level, students who were told that their cholesterol has at a somewhat risky high level ________.

A) perceive high cholesterol as less serious
B) view the test as less accurate
C) see high cholesterol as more common
D) All of the above.

Question 19

Under which of the following conditions do fear messages NOT WORK?

A) When the message creates a moderate level of fear
B) When the message creates a high level of fear
C) When the people are given a strategy to handle the anxiety that may be associated with the fear inducing message
D) When the message focuses on short-term consequences.

Question 20

According to ________ Theory, people are ______ willing to take risks when they are considering loses or costs of a particular behavior than when they are considering the gains or benefits of engaging in a behavior.

A) Cognitive Dissonance; more
B) Cognitive Dissonance; less
C) Prospect; more
D) Prospect; less

Question 21

Based on the predictions of Prospect Theory, which of the following persuasive message should be the most effective?

A) Research shows that women who do BSE have an increased chance of finding a tumor in the early stages of the disease.
B) Research shows that people who use condoms are less likely to get HIV/AIDS and other STDs.
C) Research shows that sexually active teenagers that have an HIV test are more likely to detect an illness in the early stages of the disease.
D) Research shows that people who do not use sunscreen regularly are more likely to get skin cancer.

Question 22

Which of the following messages is gain-framed?

A) If a cancer has spread, it is more likely to be fatal.
B) Another disadvantage of failing to find a tumor early is that you may have fewer treatment options.
C) We will show that detecting breast cancer early can save your life.
D) There is something you can do that increases your risk of dying from breast cancer.

Question 23

Which of the following best describes cognitive dissonance theory?

A) When people engage in a behavior that is not consistent with their attitudes, they experience an unpleasant state of arousal, which in turn leads them to try to bring their attitudes and behaviors in line.
B) When people engage in a behavior that is consistent with their attitudes, they experience a pleasant state of self-affirmation, which in turn leads to increases in self-efficacy.
C) When people engage in a behavior that is not consistent with their attitudes, they experience an unpleasant state of arousal, which in turn leads them to engage in destructive behavior as a way of avoiding confronting their hypocrisy
D) When people engage in a behavior that is consistent with their attitudes, they experience a pleasant state of self-affirmation, which in turn leads to increases in self-esteem.

Question 24

Which of the following studies is based in cognitive dissonance theory?

A) Children who brushed their teeth every day for a week received a new toy.
B) Women received a brochure describing the costs of not engaging in regular breast self-exams.
C) Adult smokers were told that they were in the top 20% in their ability to successfully give up cigarettes.
D) Adolescent girls were asked to discuss how to help others avoid body image problems, write an essay about the costs of pursuing the thin ideal, and role-play convincing someone not to adopt the thin ideal.

Question 25

As a child, Chris' parents gave him twenty-five cents every time he brushed his teeth. Based on hypothesis formulated from Attribution Theory, which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Chris was brushing his teeth because of internal forces, and therefore is likely to continue to brush regularly in the future.
B) Chris was brushing his teeth because of external forces, and therefore is likely to continue to brush regularly in the future.
C) Chris was brushing his teeth because of internal forces, and therefore is not likely to continue to brush regularly in the future.
D) Chris was brushing his teeth because of external forces, and therefore is not likely to continue to brush regularly in the future.

Question 26

According to attribution theory, which of the following health promotion messages should be most effective?

A) A message emphasizing a man's own responsibility for engaging in regular testicular self-exams.
B) A message emphasizing the dangers of not engaging in regular testicular self-exams.
C) A message emphasizing the importance of regular physician screening for testicular cancer.
D) A message providing information about the causes of testicular cancer.

Question 27

Many public service announcements on television use feature a famous actor or athlete urging people to avoid using drugs, driving under the influence, and cigarettes. These ad campaigns are based on what psychological theory?

A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Attribution theory
C) Social learning theory
D) Prospect theory

Question 28

Which of the following persuasion techniques relies on operant conditioning?

A) Modeling healthy eating for your child
B) Giving your child a small reward each time he or she eats healthy foods
C) Increasing your child's confidence that he or she can make healthy food choices
D) Frightening your child with pictures of tremendously obese people

Question 29

According to Bandura's social cognitive theory, _______, the extent to which a person believes he or she can engage in a particular behavior, is a powerful predictor of whether that person actually engages in the behavior.

A) self-efficacy
B) positive attitudes
C) internal factors
D) external factors

Question 30

Many HIV-prevention programs try to increase condom use self-efficacy by demonstrating the proper way to put on a condom. These types of programs are grounded in what theoretical framework?

A) Social learning theories
B) Social cognitive theory
C) Attribution theory
D) Prospect theory

Question 31

A message that is created to address a specific woman's concern about a mammogram is a _______ message whereas a message that is created to promote mammography in women in general is a ________ message.

A) tailored; targeted
B) targeted; tailored
C) internal; external
D) external; internal

Question 32

Which of the following broadcasters would be most effective in promoting condom use in African American women?

A) A White man
B) A White woman
C) An African American man
D) An African American woman

Question 33

People with an ______ locus of control show better adjustment following a medical procedure when they receive _______ information.

A) external; specific
B) internal; specific
C) external; explicit
D) internal; general

Question 34

Which of the following smokers is most likely to NOT be smoking four months after an intervention?

A) Jenny, a heavy smoker, who received a tailored letter that addressed specific barriers and benefits that she revealed during an interview.
B) Martha, a moderate smoker, who received a tailored letter that addressed specific barriers and benefits that she revealed during an interview.
C) Claire, a heavy smoker, who received a generic letter about the reasons for stopping smoking.
D) Michelle, a moderate smoker, who received a generic letter about the reasons for stopping smoking.

Question 35

Students who were strongly focused on ______ goals in their dating relationships had stronger attitudes toward, self-efficacy for, and intentions regarding condom use when they received a communication-skills intervention.

A) identity
B) intimacy
C) accurate
D) prescribed

Question 36

Which of the following should lead to a DECREASE in disordered eating based on prior research?

A) Giving a woman who has already shown signs of eating disorders information about the signs, symptoms, and dangers of eating disorders.
B) Telling a woman who generally compared herself to idealized images of women in the media that other women on campus actually eat more and weigh more than women often believe.
C) Telling a woman who generally compares herself to other women on campus that other women on campus actually eat more and weigh more than women often believe.
D) All of the above.

Question 37

Researchers in one study examined the effects of a storyline regarding hypertension that appeared on a popular medical drama, ER. This storyline depicted an African American teenager who was found to have hypertension and therefore advised to eat more fruits and vegetables and to get more exercise. Results showed that the storyline affected _____________

A) self-reported behavior change
B) knowledge
C) attitudes
D) all of the above

Question 38

Researchers examined the effectiveness of the "truth" anti-smoking campaign. Nationwide surveys of over 16,000 12 to 17-year-olds 8 months before and 15 months after this campaign started revealed

A) no effect.
B) that youth in markets with higher levels of exposure to this campaign reported more negative attitudes towards and beliefs about tobacco industry practices.
C) that youth in markets with higher levels of exposure to this campaign reported more positive attitudes towards and beliefs about tobacco industry practices.
D) that adults in markets with higher levels of exposure to this campaign reported more negative attitudes towards and beliefs about tobacco industry practices.

Question 39

Create two emotional appeals (one positive, one negative) designed to prevent teenage pregnancy. Which one do you think would be more effective and why?

Question 40

Describe each of the following theories, and specifically how they can be used to create effective health-promotion interventions: prospect theory, attribution theory, and cognitive dissonance theory.

Question 41

Compare learning theory to social cognitive theory, with a specific emphasis on which approach to health promotion should be more effective and why.

Question 42

Describe three distinct research studies that provide support for the benefits of matching persuasive messages to personality or demographic characteristics.

Question 43

Describe 2 drawbacks to some approaches to teenage pregnancy prevention.

Question 44

Describe the problems associated with some fear-based appeals.

Question 45

Describe the circumstances under which fear based appeals are effective.

Question 46

How do you create a tailored intervention? Select a health behavior (smoking cessation, alcohol use, disordered eating, eating, or condom use) and explain three factors that would be critical to consider, based on current research evidence to design a tailored intervention.