Feeling Hopeful Motivates Change: Emotional Responses to Messages Communicating Comparative Risk of Electronic Cigarettes and Combusted Cigarettes

Abstract

Background: Emotions are important in smoking-related communications, but the role of discrete positive and negative emotions in comparative risk messages about combusted and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is unclear. Method: In an online experiment, 1,202 U.S. adult current smokers or recent quitters were randomized to view one of six messages about comparative risk of e-cigarettes and cigarettes. Participants reported their feelings of hope, happiness, fear, guilt, disgust, and anger and risk perceptions and behavioral intentions about e-cigarettes and cigarettes. Results: Hope was associated with higher perceived absolute cigarette risk, lower perceived absolute and comparative e-cigarette risk, stronger intentions to quit smoking, seek quit help, use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), switch to e-cigarettes, and use e-cigarettes exclusively versus dual use. Happiness was related to stronger intentions to seek quit help, use NRT, and switch to e-cigarettes but higher perceived comparative risk of e-cigarettes. Fear was associated with stronger intentions to quit smoking, seek quit help, use NRT, and switch to e-cigarettes. Guilt was related to higher perceived absolute cigarette risk, lower perceived comparative e-cigarette risk, and stronger intentions to use NRT. Disgust was associated with higher absolute and comparative e-cigarette risk and stronger intentions to quit smoking, seek quit help, and use e-cigarettes exclusively versus dual use. Anger was related to lower perceived absolute cigarette risk, higher perceived comparative e-cigarette risk, and weaker intentions to quit smoking. Conclusion: Comparative risk messages about e-cigarettes that arouse hope, fear, and guilt and avoid anger might be particularly likely to have positive impact on smokers.

Does the content and source credibility of health and risk messages related to nicotine vaping products have an impact on harm perception and behavioural intentions? A systematic review

“…After removal of duplicates and publications that did not meet the inclusion criteria, a total of 31 articles were included [7,8,24–28,34–57] (Table 3) reporting results from studies involving a total of 52 425 participants (ranging from 95–16 051). Twenty‐six of the included studies were experiments and the remaining were cross‐sectional surveys.…”

“…When combined with a nicotine fact sheet, CR messages produced higher levels of response efficacy and produced higher odds of people disagreeing with the false statement that nicotine is the main cause of smoking‐related health problems compared to the other CR messages [35]. A nicotine fact sheet alone also corrected misperceptions of nicotine and NVPs compared with control or no message conditions [37,53].…”

Motivations and Barriers for the Use of Face Coverings during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Messaging Insights from Focus Groups

“…Themes of unity and diversity were desired across all focus groups. Prior studies have shown that messages evoking both negative (e.g., fear) and positive (e.g., hope) emotions can elicit beneficial behavior changes [ 27 , 28 ], so future research should examine these possibilities in the context of messages to promote face coverings. More research into the language that resonates with specific communities is needed, especially considering the inequities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among underserved minority populations [ 29 ].…”

Are smokers scared by COVID-19 risk? How fear and comparative optimism influence smokers’ intentions to take measures to quit smoking

“…These emotions can be particularly relevant to smokers because smoking-related COVID-19 disease information possibly conjures up the prospect of severe complications. Research has found that exposure to smoking disease information may arouse similar emotions for smokers [ 26 ]. However, smoking disease likely represents a chronic threat to smokers due to their prolonged exposure to anti-smoking information, and thus, the threat might be perceived as normal and distant in time [ 9 , 27 ].…”

“…The ATF, however, argues that emotions have different associations with cognitive appraisals and themes, which determine individuals’ judgments and choices [ 36 ]. Using the ATF, Yang et al [ 26 ] found that messages communicating the risk of smoking cigarettes aroused higher fear, guilt, disgust, hope, and anger. The first four emotions were associated with higher intentions to quit smoking, seek quit help, use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), switch to e-cigarettes, and use e-cigarettes exclusively.…”