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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Brief exposure to emotionally compelling anti-smoking television ads with messages about why to quit smoking can influence a smoker to quit within a month, while ads about how to quit smoking do not influence smoking behaviors, according to new research by RTI International.
The study, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, found that smokers who viewed ads featuring emotionally compelling reasons why to quit were substantially more likely to quit smoking after the four-week study period. However, ads with messages about how to quit smoking had no effect on an individual’s smoking behavior.
“Why to quit smoking messages are more powerful because those ads typically show graphic portrayals of the health consequences of smoking or feature personal testimonies to evoke emotion,” said Jennifer Duke, Ph.D., senior research public health analyst at RTI and co-author of the study. “Whereas, how to quit messages are designed to increase an individual’s belief that he or she can quit.”
The new research findings are consistent with the results of previous studies; however, this study is unique because it is the first to find that brief exposure to ads containing messages about why to quit smoking that feature strong, negative emotions or graphic images can influence smoking behaviors.
Read more here.
The study, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, found that smokers who viewed ads featuring emotionally compelling reasons why to quit were substantially more likely to quit smoking after the four-week study period. However, ads with messages about how to quit smoking had no effect on an individual’s smoking behavior.
“Why to quit smoking messages are more powerful because those ads typically show graphic portrayals of the health consequences of smoking or feature personal testimonies to evoke emotion,” said Jennifer Duke, Ph.D., senior research public health analyst at RTI and co-author of the study. “Whereas, how to quit messages are designed to increase an individual’s belief that he or she can quit.”
The new research findings are consistent with the results of previous studies; however, this study is unique because it is the first to find that brief exposure to ads containing messages about why to quit smoking that feature strong, negative emotions or graphic images can influence smoking behaviors.
Read more here.