Healthy Skepticism Library item: 12801

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Publication type: Journal Article

O'Keefe DJ, Jensen JD.
The relative persuasiveness of gain-framed and loss-framed messages for encouraging disease prevention behaviors: a meta-analytic review.
J Health Commun 2007 Oct-Nov; 12:(7):623-44
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content?content=10.1080/10810730701615198

Abstract:

A meta-analytic review of 93 studies (N = 21,656) finds that in disease prevention messages, gain-framed appeals, which emphasize the advantages of compliance with the communicator’s recommendation, are statistically significantly more persuasive than loss-framed appeals, which emphasize the disadvantages of noncompliance. This difference is quite small (corresponding to r = .03), however, and appears attributable to a relatively large (and statistically significant) effect for messages advocating dental hygiene behaviors. Despite very good statistical power, the analysis finds no statistically significant differences in persuasiveness between gain- and loss-framed messages concerning other preventive actions such as safer-sex behaviors, skin cancer prevention behaviors, or diet and nutrition behaviors.

Keywords:
Databases, Bibliographic Epidemiologic Studies Health Behavior* Health Promotion/methods* Humans Patient Compliance/psychology* Persuasive Communication* Primary Prevention/methods* Social Marketing*