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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Health messages are a commonly used way to promote changes in dietary habits but their efficacy could
be enhanced by strategies such as the way in which the presented arguments are framed. This study
aimed to test the effectiveness of framed messages (gain vs. loss) on behavioural intention and fruit and
vegetable (FV) intake, comparing predictions based on prominent theoretical perspectives on message
framing (function of the health behaviour and recipients' motivational orientation) and by further
exploring the role of baseline intentions as a potential moderator of the framing effects. Undergraduate
students (N ¼ 180) completed the three assessment points in time. At baseline, individual moderators
(motivational orientation and intentions) and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed. One week later,
participants were randomly assigned to the loss or gain-framed message and indicated their intentions
for FV intake the following week. A week later, FV intake over the previous week was assessed. The gainframe was not conducive, per se, to higher intentions or behaviour. Having intention as the outcome, only
baseline intentions moderated the effects of message frame. When considering FV intake as the outcome,
both motivational orientation and baseline intentions moderated the effects of message frame, with the
loss-frame promoting higher FV intake among individuals who were prevention-oriented and had higher
baseline intentions. Findings suggest that the success of framed messages for FV intake depends upon
the recipient's characteristics, such as motivational orientation, baseline intentions, and cultural background, with implications for health communication interventions.
Description
Keywords
Health communication Message framing moderators Fruit and vegetable intake Behavioural intentions Behaviour change
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Godinho, C., Alvarez, M.-J., & Lima, L. (2016). Emphasizing the losses or the gains: Comparing situational and individual moderators of framed messages to promote fruit and vegetable intake. Appetite, 96, 416-425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.10.001
Publisher
Elsevier