The role of emotion in anti-drug PSAs: Investigating the impact of guilt arousal on perceived message effectiveness and behavioral intentions to use drugs

• In Event: Designing Effective Health PSAs: Guilt Arousal, Audience Characteristics, and Sensation Value

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study that assessed effective message characteristics by further examining the role of emotional arousal in anti-drug PSAs. Key findings of this study suggest that guilt arousal and empathic attentiveness are significant predictors of perceived message effectiveness after controlling for other emotions and traditional predictors of drug use. Implications for drug prevention message design and effectiveness are addressed.

Author

• Melissa Harris