Effects of Exposure to Reframed Involving Visual Displacement of Pro-Tobacco YouTube Videos

• In Event: Media and Message Effects: High Density Panel in Health Communication

Abstract

Pro-tobacco videos on YouTube reach viewers with content that is sometimes deceptive. Overcoming misinformation is rendered more difficult both because processed deception lays down a memory trace that is difficult to dislodge and, when misinformation is corrected, repetition of the original content included in the correction reinforces the original memory trace. Our research uses an inductive model that reframes by raising a question to be answered by viewers as deceptive content is played. During exposure, the deceptive content is distanced in a boxed labeled screen, question marks on screen, aversive audio cues and a cracking screen reminding viewers that the content is suspect. Corrective print appears at the end. In this experiment, viewers are exposed to three instances, each including the same deceptive inference. In two of four conditions viewers see the corrective structure. Our project applies the Reframing, Involving Visualizing Displacing structure to messages in popular pro-tobacco YouTube videos.

Authors

• Kenneth Michael Winneg, University of Pennsylvania

• Kathleen Hall Jamieson, U of Pennsylvania