Radio public service announcements to promote vaccinations for older adults: Effects of framing and distraction

Reinhardt, Anne ; Rossmann, Constanze und Engel, Elena (5. August 2022): Radio public service announcements to promote vaccinations for older adults: Effects of framing and distraction. In: Vaccine, Vol. 40: pp. 4864-4871

Abstract

This article investigates the effects of message framing and distraction on older adults’ responses to a radio public service announcement (PSA) to promote influenza and pneumococci vaccinations. In detail, it addresses the message impact on recognition, attitudes toward the ad, and information-seeking intentions. The 2 × 2 online experiment was conducted in August 2019 in Germany. 378 participants aged 60 years and above received a radio PSA with either gain- or loss-framed messages (factor 1). Additionally, half of the participants completed a distraction task while listening (factor 2). Gain frames (η2p =.02) and a non-distracted reception situation (η2p =.04) positively influenced older adults’ recognition accuracy. Recognition, in turn, was found to mediate the effect of framing and distraction on the intention to seek further information on the campaign (framing: b = -0.03, distraction: b = 0.05). We conclude that gain-framed radio PSAs are an appropriate tool to raise awareness for a vaccination campaign and its contents, especially when recipients are concentrated while listening to it. We suggest to implement them at the early stages of a health intervention to sensitize people about vaccination, followed by more in-depth information material (e.g., brochures) to create behavior change.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Keywords: Message Framing; Positivity effect; Distraction; Older adults; vaccination; Health promotion
• Faculties: Social Sciences > Department of Communications and Media (IfKW); Social Sciences > Department of Communications and Media (IfKW) > Research Papers > Media Effects
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 300 Social sciences, sociology and anthropology; 300 Social sciences > 380 Commerce, communications and transportation
• ISSN: 0264-410X
• Language: English