Papers by Jessica G Myrick
Uplifting Fear Appeals: Considering the Role of Hope in Fear-Based Persuasive Messages
Health Communication, Jan 9, 2018
ABSTRACT Fear appeal research has focused, understandably, on fear as the primary emotion motivat... more ABSTRACT Fear appeal research has focused, understandably, on fear as the primary emotion motivating attitude and behavior change. However, while the threat component of fear appeals associates with fear responses, a fear appeals’ efficacy component likely associates with a different emotional experience: hope. Drawing from appraisal theories of emotion in particular, this article theorizes about the role of hope in fear appeals, testing hypotheses with two existing data sets collected within the context of sun safety messages. In both studies, significant interactions between hope and self-efficacy emerged to predict behavioral intentions. Notable main effects for hope also emerged, though with less consistency. Further, these effects persisted despite controlling for the four cognitions typically considered central to fear appeal effectiveness. These results, consistent across two samples, support the claim that feelings of hope in response to fear appeals contribute to their persuasive success. Implications for developing a recursive model of fear appeal processing are discussed.
Health Communication, Dec 7, 2022
The current study tests the predictions of the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) in a ha... more The current study tests the predictions of the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) in a handwashing context in a Korean sample and extends the theory to examine the role of perceived publicness, a variable believed to activate face concerns, as a moderator of the norm-behavior relationship. The findings show substantial main effects for all of the study variables on behavior. In addition, the descriptive norm-behavior relationship is moderated by perceived publicness and outcome expectations, but the nature of the interactions is not consistent with that evidenced in previous literature on US samples. Implications for normative theory and communication campaigns are discussed.
Social Cognitive Theory
The International Encyclopedia of Health Communication, Nov 10, 2022
Pills and power ups: How in-game substance shapes players’ attitudes and real-life substance abuse intentions
Objective: Guided by social cognitive theory, this study investigated the effects of in-game subs... more Objective: Guided by social cognitive theory, this study investigated the effects of in-game substance use portrayals in video games on players’ real-world substance-related cognitions and intentions. Materials and Methods: A custom-designed computer designed game presented 97 participants across two studies with encounters with alcohol and cigarettes. For half of the participants, the in-game substance use facilitated gameplay and for the other half the substance use inhibited gameplay. Results: The first study showed that negative consequences of in-game substance use improved attitudes toward the game, which then impacted attitudes toward drinking under certain conditions. In the second study, participants had more positive attitudes toward the game when the game portrayed positive consequences for cigarette smoking, and this impacted attitudes toward smoking. Conclusion: Mediated portrayals of substance use, like those found in video games, can influence a player’s perception of substance use. We believe that carefully crafted video games could be used to discourage substance use behaviors. However, the effective means of implementation and understanding how users will respond under different conditions merits further study
Health Communication, Sep 10, 2018
Indoor tanning is a risky behavior that dramatically increases skin cancer risk. Researchers from... more Indoor tanning is a risky behavior that dramatically increases skin cancer risk. Researchers from multiple disciplines aim to better understand this behavior to develop interventions and messages to curtail it. As such, we investigated the role of social norms and outcome expectations as predictors of tanning behavior as part of a larger test of constructs included in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior. In addition to offering additional empirical results to support theoretical claims for the importance of social norms and outcome expectations in predicting health behaviors, we offer indoor tanning-specific operationalizations in a conditional process model with the aim of assessing how content-specific measurements predict indoor tanning intentions. Results of a survey of adult indoor tanners from across the U.S. (N = 262) highlight when and how descriptive norms influence tanning intentions through the mediating roles of anticipatory socialization, injunctive norms, and health threat, and through the moderating role of mood-based tanning motivations. Implications for theory building as well as for intervention and message design are discussed. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and incidence rates are on the rise, particularly among younger women (National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2017; U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). One factor responsible for increased skin cancer incidence is indoor tanning, which increases risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75% (Lazovich et al., 2010). The prevalence of skin cancer and its association to indoor tanning is a serious public health concern, so much so that the U. S. Surgeon General recently issued a call to action requesting additional intervention research to decrease tanning behavior (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). The present study addresses this call by investigating the relationship between social norms and indoor tanning intentions. There is widespread consensus that perceptions of social norms around indoor tanning influence tanning behavior
Health Communication, Jan 14, 2021
Given the vast amounts of COVID-19-related messages flooding mediated and interpersonal communica... more Given the vast amounts of COVID-19-related messages flooding mediated and interpersonal communication channels during the global pandemic, celebrity COVID-19 disclosures offer rare opportunities to cut through message fatigue and apathy and garner the attention of wide swaths of the public. We conducted a convergent mixed method analysis of audience responses to actor Tom Hanks' March 11, 2020 disclosure of his COVID-19 diagnosis via social media. We collected our data within 24 hours of his announcement, allowing us to quickly capture emotional and cognitive responses to the announcement and to assess both demographic and psychosocial differences in types of people who heard the news in this time frame and those who had not. In our study, 587 participants had heard the news of Hanks' disclosure while 95 had not. Participants who had heard responded to an open-ended prompt asking if the disclosure affected them at all. Those who had not heard were funneled into a field intervention to test how random assignment to seeing Hanks' disclosure post or not would affect audiences' COVID-19related emotions, cognitions, and willingness to enact prevention behaviors. The results of this mixed methods study revealed differences in responses to Hanks' disclosure based on health information source trust and involvement with Hanks as well as effects of the intervention on efficacy for dealing with COVID-19. We discuss implications for health communication theory and crafting messages that can effectively build off the attentional inertia generated by celebrity illness disclosures to encourage prevention efforts.
Background: Research has pointed to a connection between social media use, emotions, and tanning ... more Background: Research has pointed to a connection between social media use, emotions, and tanning behaviors. However, less is known about the role specific emotions may play in influencing social media use and how emotions and social media use may each be associated with outdoor tanning. Objective: This paper aims to examine the connection between emotions, social media use, and outdoor tanning behaviors among young women, a group particularly important for skin cancer prevention efforts. Methods: We used ecological momentary assessment to collect data from 197 women aged 18 to 25 years 3 times a day for 7 days in July 2018. We collected data from women in 2 states. Results: We found that boredom was associated with increased time spent on social media and that increased time spent on social media was associated with increased time spent outdoors without sun protection. Conclusions: Our results highlight that social media may be a particularly important channel for skin cancer prevention efforts targeting young women, as more social media use was associated with increased time spent outdoors with skin exposed. Researchers should consider the role of emotions in motivating social media use and subsequent tanning behaviors. Additionally, as boredom was associated with social media use, intervention developers would benefit from developing digital and social media interventions that entertain as well as educate.
Roles of Audience Involvement and Message Frame in Shaping Public Reactions to Celebrity Illness Disclosures–Model
PsycTESTS Dataset, 2019
ProQuest LLC eBooks, May 1, 2013
JESSICA GALL MYRICK: Searching from the heart: The interplay between emotions and customization i... more JESSICA GALL MYRICK: Searching from the heart: The interplay between emotions and customization in online health information seeking (Under the direction of Sriram Kalyanaraman) The prospect of a threat to one's health or an opportunity for improved health can spark emotional reactions-the fear of an illness or the hope of a healthier life. People are increasingly turning to the Internet to search for information related to such health issues.
CQ Press eBooks, Jul 25, 2014
Currently, the transformations occurring in media systems (especially those relating to technolog... more Currently, the transformations occurring in media systems (especially those relating to technologies, the Internet and social networks) have led to a renewed interest in analysing the conditions that potentially foster selective exposure and, specifically, politically-oriented selection. As a result, that theory is now among the 21st century's top eight most used approaches (Bryant & Miron, 2004, p. 696). This thematic issue addresses some of the key questions about selective exposure and associated phenomena by means of two comment articles and three research articles.
Risk Analysis, Oct 28, 2022
Relationships between risk perceptions, emotions, and stress are well‐documented, as are intercon... more Relationships between risk perceptions, emotions, and stress are well‐documented, as are interconnections between stress, emotion, and media use. During the early COVID‐19 pandemic, the public responded psychologically to the threat posed by the pandemic, and frequently utilized media for information and entertainment. However, we lack a comprehensive picture of how perceived risk, emotion, stress, and media affected each other longitudinally during this time. Further, although response to the pandemic was highly politicized, research has yet to address how partisan affiliation moderated relationships between risk, emotion, stress, and media use over time. This three‐wave (N = 1021) panel study assessed the interplay of risk, emotion, stress, and media use for Americans with different political affiliations between March and May of 2020. Findings indicate that perceived risk, emotion, and stress at Time 1 predicted media use at Time 2, with predictors varying by type of media. Use of entertainment media and social/mobile media predicted later stress (Time 3), but news consumption did not. Later risk perceptions (Time 3) were not influenced by media use at Time 2. The predictors and consequences of different types of media use were notably different for Republicans and Democrats. In particular, risk perceptions predicted greater news use among Democrats but greater entertainment media use among Republicans. Moreover, social/mobile media use resulted in perceiving the risks of COVID‐19 as less serious for Republicans while increasing stress over time for Democrats.
Health information source use and trust among a vulnerable rural disparities population
Journal of Rural Health, Mar 5, 2021
PurposeBecause rural residents, particularly those near mining sites, are susceptible to numerous... more PurposeBecause rural residents, particularly those near mining sites, are susceptible to numerous environmental health hazards, it is important to gain deeper insights into their use and trust of health information, which they may employ to help recognize symptoms, learn ways to reduce exposure, or find health care.MethodsWe surveyed residents (N = 101) of rural Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to assess predictors of health information source use and trust. A project manager administered face‐to‐face paper and pencil questionnaires assessing demographics, health status, smoking behavior, and health information use and source trust. Bivariate correlations and ordinary least squares regressions were used to analyze the data.FindingsThe data suggest that rural individuals frequently use nurses, doctors, and websites to seek health information, whereas traditional media are often not their preferred channel for health information. Media sources were not found as trustworthy as interpersonal and medical health information sources. While only 13.0% of individuals in the sample said they ever turned to county or state health departments for health information, these sources were trusted more than any media source and more than friends. Moreover, living closer to active mining sites—meaning these individuals are at a higher risk of environmental health hazards—predicted even less use of traditional media and greater trust in peer sources.ConclusionsNot all sources of health information are equally used or trusted by individuals from a rural disparities population. The findings have implications for health campaign message dissemination and intervention designs targeting individuals in rural Appalachia.
How Young, Uninsured Americans Respond to News Coverage of Obamacare: An Experimental Test of an Affective Mediation Model
Mass Communication and Society, Jun 2, 2017
This experiment integrated theory from multiple domains to examine how aspects of news coverage o... more This experiment integrated theory from multiple domains to examine how aspects of news coverage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and differences in participants’ cognitive and emotional contingent conditions interact to shape attitudes and behavioral intentions toward health care legislation. Using a sample of uninsured young adults (N = 1,056), we tested an affective mediation model, which assessed the mechanisms through which media frames, exemplar case studies, and individual predispositions affect this type of news consumer. Results demonstrate the complicated pathways through which emotions mediate the effects of news coverage of ACA based on political predispositions, the need for orientation toward the health care issue, and the influence of equivalency framing in the form of example cases. These findings contribute to a more nuanced explanation of the causal mechanisms underpinning framing effects of public policy news coverage on an understudied population. The need for further examination of emotion along with cognition when investigating framing effects of public policy news is discussed, and the importance of exemplar cases as a significant manifestation of the effects equivalence framing is highlighted.
A health fundraising experiment using the “foot-in-the-door” technique
Health Marketing Quarterly, Jul 2, 2016
Foot-in-the-door (FITD) involves obtaining compliance with a small request to boost compliance wi... more Foot-in-the-door (FITD) involves obtaining compliance with a small request to boost compliance with a larger request. Only a few studies to date have tested the technique in health and fundraising contexts, and even fewer have examined the psychological processes involved. To address these gaps, we conducted an experiment as an actual fundraiser for a cancer-awareness organization. The technique activated a self-concept as a supporter of cancer awareness among those in the FITD condition. Donation amount was also higher among those in FITD, but only among those with higher levels of worry and low to moderate levels of preference for consistency.
Appetite, Apr 1, 2020
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Associations Between Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Decisions and Exposure to Vaccine Information in Social Media
Cancer Control, 2022
Appearance, Friends, and Feelings: A Two-Study Exploration of Young Women’s Emotional Associations and Indoor Tanning Frequency
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Apr 6, 2021
Knowledge of its potential cancer risk is often not enough to motivate individuals to avoid indoo... more Knowledge of its potential cancer risk is often not enough to motivate individuals to avoid indoor tanning. Previous research has found that emotions toward indoor tanning and appearance motivations may prompt people to continue despite the risks. We conducted two online surveys of US young adult women. Study one included a convenience sample of female undergraduates (N = 502) at a university in the northwestern USA. Study two included young women from a nationwide US online panel (N = 270). Results suggest that emotional associations, both positive and negative, with indoor tanning explain greater variances in indoor tanning behavior than demographics and previously established psychosocial predictors of tanning alone. Appearance motivations were also positively associated with indoor tanning in both samples. This research has implications for health care providers and health communicators, as indoor tanning prevention messages and campaigns should consider the association between both positive and negative emotions on tanning behaviors as well as appearance motivations.
Journalism Practice, Oct 19, 2020
Delivering events and advertisements to interested individuals is an important issue for mobile a... more Delivering events and advertisements to interested individuals is an important issue for mobile ad hoc communities. Providing a feasible solution to event delivery in highly dynamic and error prone mobile ad hoc environments is a challenging problem due to the inherent unreliable and unstable nature of mobile ad hoc networks. This paper proposes a novel semantics-based publish/subscribe scheme for efficient event and advertisement delivery in large-scale mobile ad hoc communities. In our proposed publish/subscribe system, mobile nodes are organised into groups and a compact semantics-based indexing is deployed in the groups. Efficient intra-and inter-group routings are proposed to facilitate efficient propagation of event notifications. The effectiveness of the system is demonstrated through a comprehensive set of simulation studies.
Schadenfreude After Watching the News: How Audiences Respond to Media Coverage of Partisans Disclosing Illnesses
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Apr 19, 2021
When public figures make announcements about their illness, audiences may be influenced to change... more When public figures make announcements about their illness, audiences may be influenced to change their own health behaviors. However, if a disliked political figure becomes ill, feelings of schadenfreude, or pleasure at another’s misfortune, may arise and schadenfreude could predict news consumer’s information seeking and health-related intentions. Surveys of audience responses to news of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh’s lung cancer diagnosis ( N = 414) and to news of Republican Senator Rand Paul’s COVID-19 diagnosis ( N = 407) found that such illness announcements can evoke schadenfreude, with schadenfreude associated with decreased willingness to undertake preventative health behaviors.
Sustainability in CSR Messages on Social Media: How Emotional Framing and Efficacy Affect Emotional Response, Memory and Persuasion
Environmental Communication-a Journal of Nature and Culture, Jun 21, 2021
ABSTRACT The present study explores how companies use social media messages to communicate about ... more ABSTRACT The present study explores how companies use social media messages to communicate about the dangers of plastic pollution. Drawing from the emotions-as-frames model and the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP), this experiment identifies the effects of two message features (emotional frames: fear/hope, efficacy: low/high) in Instagram posts about plastic pollution. The discrete emotions hope, fear, and anger were analyzed as indicators of message processing, mediating the effects of messages features on memory, plastic pollution attitudes, political participation intentions, and social media intentions. Results of a path analysis show that fear-framed messages increased fear and anger, and high-efficacy information increased hope while reducing anger. In turn, anger increased all three persuasion outcomes, while hope and fear increased only behavioral intentions, not attitudes. Political ideology significantly moderated the model. The paper discusses implications for integrating discrete emotions into the LC4MP, as well as practical implications for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability communicators.
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Papers by Jessica G Myrick