Norms and Teen Reactance to Antismoking PSAs

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

Abstract

How teens process anti-smoking public service advertisements (PSAs) is a critical question, particularly in light of the multitude of anti-smoking mass media campaigns. PSAs that run counter to teens’ peer norms can trigger biased processing, which may increase the attractiveness of cigarette uptake. The experiment reported here found that teens with a less accessible anti-smoking peer norm were more likely to report reactance to anti-smoking PSAs than those with a more accessible anti-smoking norm. In turn, reactance predicted smoking intention three months later. The results indicate that having an accessible anti-smoking norm is a protective factor: Cigarette uptake may be less appealing to teens who can easily bring to mind the idea that their good friends disapprove of smoking.

Authors

• Nancy Rhodes, Ohio State University

• Rachel Ralston, The Ohio State University

• Elisabeth Bigsby, U of Illinois