Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking
Because implicit evaluations are thought to underlie many aspects of behavior, researchers have started looking for ways to change them. We examine whether and when persuasive messages alter strongly-held implicit evaluations of smoking. In smokers, an affective anti-smoking message led to more nega...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-10-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01488/full |
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author | Colin Tucker Smith Colin Tucker Smith Jan eDe Houwer |
author_facet | Colin Tucker Smith Colin Tucker Smith Jan eDe Houwer |
author_sort | Colin Tucker Smith |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Because implicit evaluations are thought to underlie many aspects of behavior, researchers have started looking for ways to change them. We examine whether and when persuasive messages alter strongly-held implicit evaluations of smoking. In smokers, an affective anti-smoking message led to more negative implicit evaluations on four different implicit measures as compared to a cognitive anti-smoking message which seemed to backfire. Additional analyses suggested that the observed effects were mediated by the feelings and emotions raised by the messages. In non-smokers, both the affective and cognitive message engendered slightly more negative implicit evaluations. We conclude that persuasive messages change implicit evaluations in a way that depends on properties of the message and of the participant. Thus, our data open new avenues for research directed at tailoring persuasive messages to change implicit evaluations. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:36:41Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-a59a6d4549e540489f0623cdbf5a808f |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1664-1078 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:36:41Z |
publishDate | 2015-10-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Psychology |
spelling | doaj.art-a59a6d4549e540489f0623cdbf5a808f2022-12-21T23:28:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-10-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.01488154833Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smokingColin Tucker Smith0Colin Tucker Smith1Jan eDe Houwer2University of FloridaGhent UniversityGhent UniversityBecause implicit evaluations are thought to underlie many aspects of behavior, researchers have started looking for ways to change them. We examine whether and when persuasive messages alter strongly-held implicit evaluations of smoking. In smokers, an affective anti-smoking message led to more negative implicit evaluations on four different implicit measures as compared to a cognitive anti-smoking message which seemed to backfire. Additional analyses suggested that the observed effects were mediated by the feelings and emotions raised by the messages. In non-smokers, both the affective and cognitive message engendered slightly more negative implicit evaluations. We conclude that persuasive messages change implicit evaluations in a way that depends on properties of the message and of the participant. Thus, our data open new avenues for research directed at tailoring persuasive messages to change implicit evaluations.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01488/fullAffectSmokingpersuasionsubstance useImplicit evaluations |
spellingShingle | Colin Tucker Smith Colin Tucker Smith Jan eDe Houwer Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking Frontiers in Psychology Affect Smoking persuasion substance use Implicit evaluations |
title | Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking |
title_full | Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking |
title_fullStr | Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking |
title_full_unstemmed | Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking |
title_short | Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking |
title_sort | hooked on a feeling affective anti smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking |
topic | Affect Smoking persuasion substance use Implicit evaluations |
url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01488/full |
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