The role of source characteristics and style in the perception of public service announcement (PSA) messages: Experimental study of anti-vaping social advertising for student population

Abstract

Introduction. Currently, smoking electronic cigarettes (vaping) is considered one of the most widespread and prominent health concerns among young people, with e-cigarette use among young adults surging annually. So, the development of effective public service advertisements (PSAs) is essential to both inform young adults about the actual consequences of vaping and prevent them from engaging in this behaviour. However, there is still a lack of research on how different aspects of anti-vaping PSAs can influence attitudes and intentions, especially regarding the interaction between these factors. To address this issue, this study examines the effectiveness of PSAs among young adults in Russia by focusing on the impact of various message sources (expert vs. peer) and styles (narrative vs. non-narrative) as well as their interactions based on the match-up hypothesis. Materials and Methods. The study employed a 2x2 factorial between-subjects experimental design to compare the impact of different message sources and styles on behaviour and attitudes, utilising a four-group posttest randomised design and involving vaping bachelor university students (N = 112). Results. Expert message sources were more effective in developing a positive attitude towards PSA than peer sources. Exposure to narratively styled messages was associated with a more negative attitude towards vaping compared to non-narrative ones. Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed in the effect of message sources or message styles on the vaping intention. No significant interaction effect between the message sources and styles was found in terms of their influence on the attitude towards PSA, attitude towards vaping and vaping intention. Conclusion. The findings contribute to the development of more effective anti-vaping advertisements, with implications for public health campaigns. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords

• public service announcement
• vaping
• persuasive communication
• author
• narrative
• university students