The Effectiveness of
Mass Communication to
Change Public Behavior
Paper: Lorien C. Abroms and Edward W. Maibach
Presenter: Lauralee Woods
Presentation

Mutual evolution of Mass Media and Population Health

Proposed People and Places Framework

Components of an effective campaign

Mass Media’s influence on:

Individual-Level

Social Network Level

Community Level

Optimism in Harnessing Mass Media for Public Health

Limits of this Review

Discussion and Questions
Mutual Evolution of Mass Media and
Public Health


Media:

1980’s broad cast was limited to fewer tools: (Less channels, broader audience)

1990’s “narrow cast/silver cast” (More channels, specific audience)

Specific Demographic/psychographic targets

INTERNET: Information Blast

Radically Alters Business & Information Flow

Lower cost and less gatekeepers
Public Health:

Before: Clinical focus on curing sick individuals

Now: Eocological Model for Population Health
Maibach’s People and Places Framework
Defining Mass Media and its Components

Mass media: A planned Effort that disseminates old and new messages to
produce awareness or behavior change among an intended population through
channels that reach a broad audience.

Components: Review of Social Marketing

Well-designed Message (Design)

Target audience

Target behavior

Intended Audience Reached (Exposure)

Frequency of Message (Exposure)
Individual-Level Media Campaigns


Extreme Success: “Truth” by Department of Health and American Legacy
Foundation

Result: 22% decline in teenage and adolescent smoking

Exception to the Rule
Normal Success: Snyder and Hamiltons meta-analysis of 48 published
community-wide mass media health campaigns effects:

9% increase in short-term behavior adoption

17% increase in behavior adoption with enforceable law

5% increase in behavior adoption without enforceable law

Major Players: Reach and Novelty
Examples
 The “Truth” campaign
 Aim at youth feature
trendy youth in public
demonstration
 http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=Y_56BQmY_e
8
 CDC’s VERB campaign
 CDC’s graphic anti-smoking
campaign ad
 Tips from former
smokers
Average Effects of Media Campaigns by
Topic – Meta-analytic findings
The Collateral Website

Allows for the individually catered message:

“advergames”

Google also sending you specific messages based on your viewing history

Few studies have been done, but promising for customer reach and brand
awareness

VERBnow.com
Social Network Level

Focuses is on types and degrees of relationship support

Promotes presence of positive health leaders

Target: Friends, Parents, Older Siblings, spouses…

Success: “Talk to your kids about sex, everyone else is.” by North Carolina
Department of Health

Results: A Telephone survey showed intention and behavior increased in
exposed population
Social Network continued:

Less Explored target: Instead of utilizing an already existing social network,
building one.

Example: Harvard mentoring project with a three-prong strategy


Public Service Announcements

Outreach to entertainment Community

News Media outreach
Results : Many donations and 700,000 calls to volunteers
Mass Media on Community Level

Subcategories: Social norms, social capital, social cohesion, collective self
efficacy, income inequality, and racism.

This strategy is used more for youth.

Big Success: http://www.liveearth.org/ promoting Global warming Awareness

Results: Most watched televised Concert…Ever

Really successful? Lots of exposure, but are the ones exposed the ones who
can and will make change?
Place-based Field of Influence: Local
and Distal Levels

Range of Opportunities for interventions

The Laws and Policies in the Environment

The availability of products and services increased

Physical structures in the environment

Media and cultural messages in the environment
Media Advocacy:

The strategic use of mass media in combination with community organizing to
advance healthy public policies

Mobilization of Public and Policy Makers

Lacks established methods for evaluation with environmental interventions

Few studies exist

Success: http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/

Result: Some response from MPAA by considering smoking in R-ratings

An example of this are also all of the ads on the news and on peoples houses
during the elections.
Optimism in Harnessing Mass Media for
Public Health:

Plenty of exposure Opportunities (Institutue of Medicine):

Average adult is exposed 10 hours per day to media

Plenty of studies on Individual level factors

Paper Suggests:

“Big Messy” Programs- Diverse tactics



-Mass media, interpersonal communication, and outreach to policy makers
More studies needed

All should be explored by Public Health field

Okay for groups to choose one focus or the other depending on their need
Limitations: Few studies done on the subject
Questions and Concerns:

Are there more examples of successful or limited media campaigns?

Is this framework sufficient for analyzing mass medias role effect on Public
Health?

Should we be optimistic about Mass media as a tool for Population health
promotion or is it going to create more barriers?
THE THEORY OF TRIADIC INFLUENCE
Levels of
Causation
Intrapersonal Stream
Biological/Nature
BIOLOGY/
PERSONALITY
Ultimate
Causes
1
Social/
Personal
Nexus
2
Sense of
Self/Control
Distal
Influences
7
13
8
h
Skills:
Social+General
14
Proximal
Predictors
b
c
B
C
Others’
Beh & Atts
9
i
j
k
l m
u
d
e
n
16
SOCIAL
NORMATIVE
BELIEFS
o
11
w
20
q
Values/
Evaluations
x
v
6
Interactions w/
Social Instit’s
p
Perceived
Norms
15
5
f
10
Motivation
to Comply
s
CULTURAL
ENVIRONMENT
4
Interpersonal
Bonding
19
A
Nurture/Cultural
3
SELF-EFFICACY t
BEHAVIORAL
CONTROL
Affect and
Cognitions
Cultural/Attitudinal Stream
SOCIAL
SITUATION
a
Social
Competence
g
Self
Determination
Expectancies
& Evaluations
Decisions
Social/Normative Stream
Information/
Opportunities
Knowledge/
Expectancies
17
F
18
ATTITUDES
TOWARD THE
BEHAVIOR
21
DECISIONS/INTENTIONS
D E
12
r
I
22
H
G
Trial Behavior
EXPERIENCES: Expectancies -- Social Reinforcements -- Psychological/Physiological
Experiences
23
J
K
Related Behaviors
18