Health - Healthy Living - Methods of Health Promotion

Aim: to test the effectiveness of an advertising campaign which demonstrated aprocedure, provided information, challenged perceptionsabout lack of ability to cope and encouraged preventative actions

Method: quasi-experiment, campaign shown in 10 UK regional tv areas from 1976-84. analysis of chippan fires reported between 76-82. 2 quantitative surveys 76-83 Sample: people living in television areas

Procedure: 2 60sec commercials. real-time and slow-motion to heighten effect. number of reported chip-pan fires analysed for each area.

Key Results: net decline 7-25%. largest reduction during campaign-33%. if area received more than one channel, showed less impact. questionnaire increased awareness from 62-96%. people mentioning dangers increased from 12 to 28%

Conclusions: behaviour change seen most during and reduces as time passes after. less influenced if overexposed to it. confidence in data shown by change in awareness

COGNITIVE/BEHAVIOURIST

Evaluation Points:

• longitudinal vs. snapshot
• determinism vs. free will

Method issues:

• can't demonstrate casual relationships because IV not directly manipulated
• socially desirable answers

contributes to our understanding of how people learn from media campaigns and how effective they can be

unrealistic - lacks ecological validity as many people may not have had tv's so may not have watched tv to see the commercials. ethnocentric - only tv areas in UK.

Aim: review the impact of passing a law requiring cycle helmet wearing in children 

Method: Natural experiment, laws passed in Maryland USA already           

Design: Independent design - each child naturally falling into groups        

Sample: children from 47 schools in Howard County. 2 control groups MC and BC. Aged 9-10, 12-13 & 14-15. MC campaign already. 7322 children questionnaires

Procedure: questionnaire - 4-point Likert scale about bicycle/helmet use. Parents asked to help- therefore consent obtained 

Key Results: Response 41-53% across ages & counties. HC (law) usage increased 11.4 to 35.7% > 8.4-12.6% MC and 6.7-11.1% BC. 87% in HC aware of law-38% wore helmet on last bike ride > 14% children who didn't know of law

Conclusions: HC law did show large increase in reported rate of cycle helmet wearing. Passing legislation has more effect than educational campaigns alone, EC are not necessarily effective in increasing health behaviours. 

BEHAVIOURIST/COGNITIVE

Evaluation Points:

• longitudinal vs. snapshot
• determinism vs. free will
• individual vs. situational

Method Issues:

• can't demonstrate casual relationships because IV not directly manipulated
• socially desirable answers

contributes to our understanding of how people learn from legislation and how effective they can be and if people use them.

unrealistic - lacks ecological validity as many people may not have had tv's so may not have watched tv to see the commercials. ethnocentric - only 3 counties.

Aim: to investigate consequences on emotions and behaviour of fear appeals

Method: Lab exp., showed fear-arousing material, collected data by q'aire

Sample: US high school class, age 14-15. 4 groups inc. control group

Design: Independent design, group 1-strong fear appeal on dental hygiene. group 2-moderate fear appeal. group 3-minimal fear arousal. group 4- similar lecture on human eye

Procedure: Questionnaire 1 week before lecture -> 15-minute lecture -> questionnaire immediately after and one week later

Key Results: knowledge did not differ. Strong fear-interesting, easy to folllow, slides too unpleasant. Increased conformity of 8%. mod. 22%. min. 36%. con. 10%

Conclusions: min. fear most effective. relatively low fear arousal likely to be optimal level for promoting health

COGNITIVE/BEHAVIOURIST

Evaluation Points:

• determinism vs. free will
• reductionism vs. holism

Method issues:

• lacks realism, may respond to experimenters cues
• ungeneralisable - sample bias

useful applications as you can see the effects of different types of advertising. contributes to our understanding of how people react to the fearful photos

deterministic - ignores other complexities, pps may be more fearful of it than others. lacks ecological validity - lab experiment