Using Moralization as a Persuasion Strategy in Public Health Messages: A Cross-Sectional, Experimental Study on Vaping

Laura Arhiri (), Mihaela Alexandra Gherman and Andrei Corneliu Holman
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Laura Arhiri: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania
Mihaela Alexandra Gherman: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania
Andrei Corneliu Holman: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Str. Toma Cozma 3, 700554 Iasi, Romania

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: Using moralization in anti-vaping public health messages as a persuasion strategy was recently recommended to address the current vaping epidemic. However, previous findings indicated this could lead to moralized attitudes in the general population, which can be very difficult to change and could severely affect social cohesion and distort risk perception. Since the safety and efficiency of using electronic cigarettes as smoking cessation devices are still being investigated, we conducted a cross-sectional, experimental study on a convenience sample of 612 Romanian never vapers, never smokers to assess how exposure to moralizing public health messages about vaping might influence their trust in future scientific results about this topic. Participants were randomized into six groups according to the type of message (“moral,” “immoral,” “neutral”) and the type of effects of vaping on smokers’ health, documented in a future fictitious study (“health benefits,” “health risks”). Results showed that the type of message moderated trust in future scientific results after controlling for participants’ general trust in science. When vaping was framed as immoral, trust in future scientific results showing health benefits was decreased, and vice versa. Implications are discussed for using moralization strategically in public health messaging to curtail or promote certain health behaviors.

Keywords: public health messages; vaping; electronic cigarettes; trust in science; attitude moralization; health behaviors; health risks; health benefits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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