<p>The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the use of health risk communications as a strategy to change risk perceptions and motivate leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Guided by protection motivation theory (PMT; Rogers, 1983) and the extended parallel processing model (EPPM; Witte, 1992), two strategies were examined as unique approaches to enhancing the effectiveness of health risk information. First, risk information was tailored to individualized, objective data regarding participants’ health risk. Second, risk information was supplemented with framed leisure time physical activity (LTPA) efficacy messages. Gain-framed messages emphasized the benefits of LTPA, whereas loss-framed messages emphasized the risks of inactivity. The relative effectiveness of gain- versus loss-framed messages was considered within the context of the EPPM (Witte, 1992). A secondary purpose of the dissertation was to explore cognitive processing in relation to framed LTPA messages. The attention and elaboration phases of cognitive processing were examined for gain- and loss-framed LTPA messages following exposure to health risk information. Three experiments were conducted to 1) test the effectiveness of individualized health risk information for changing health risk perceptions and LTPA among people with SCI, 2) test the relative effectiveness of gain- and loss-framed LTPA efficacy messages presented following health risk information for changing LTPA response efficacy and LTPA intentions among people with SCI, and, 3) investigate the relative attention given to gain-framed versus loss-framed LTPA response efficacy messages following presentation of health risk information to university students. The theoretical and pragmatic contributions are discussed.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

網路技術的發展與進步，改變了人們日常生活中的溝通習慣，也讓網路成為人際溝通與獲取資訊的主要來源。對於尋求日常生活不論食、衣、住、行各類資訊的民眾而言，網路無疑是一種既快速又便利的取得資訊來源。透過彼此使用、購買經驗分享與傳授，網友們相互提供的口碑資訊得以在網路的虛擬空間裡不斷地累積擴散。其中，香水虛擬社群成員間的互動與口碑訊息交流，為本研究所感興趣欲進一步研究的議題。 本研究以虛擬社群台大PTT Perfume 板的成員為調查對象，以社會資本理論歸結出的成員特性: 相似性、認同感及信任感三構念，來探討影響社群使用者知識分享交流的動機與其對網路口碑訊息傳遞的影響；另以訊息訴求與訊息框架二構念來研究其對社群使用者溝通效果及後續口碑傳播意願的關聯。本研究以「問卷調查法」進行資料的蒐集，共蒐集有效樣本問卷227 份，使用SPSS 18.0 來進行資料分析，以檢驗本研究模型和相關假說。 研究結果發現: (一)、社群成員的「相似性」不論對成員間的「知識貢獻」、「知識欲求」與「口碑傳播意願」，均有顯著正向的影響。社群成員的「認同感」對成員間的「知識貢獻」與「口碑傳播意願」，有顯著正向的影響；但對成員的「知識欲求」則無顯著影響。社群成員的「信任感」對成員間的「知識欲求」有顯著正向的影響；但對成員的「知識貢獻」與「口碑傳播意願」則無顯著影響。(二)、「正面框架」的訊息表達方式，以及不論「理性」、「感性」、或「自我象徵」的訊息訴求，對於社群使用者均能帶來正向顯著的「溝通效果」；另外，訊息的「溝通效果」，會對社群成員網路口碑傳播的意願帶來顯著正向的影響。(三)、最後，Perfume 板虛擬社群成員間的「知識交流」程度，亦會對社群內的「口碑傳播意願」帶來顯著正向的影響。 / The development and progress of Internet technology has changed human communication, especially interpersonal communication and information searching. Moreover, the Internet has become a convenient communication channel in our daily life for gathering product-related information. Product users can share their purchase and usage experience with one another over the virtual network and the impact of online word-of-mouth is escalating. Accordingly, this study is to discuss the sharing and transmission of the online word-of-mouth about perfume among the virtual community members. Data were collected by an online questionnaire survey from 227 members of PTT_Perfume, which is one of the most famous virtual communities in the area of BBS. The study incorporates similarity, identification, and trust from the perspective of the social capital theory to discuss the knowledge sharing intention and their influences on the word-of-mouth transmission；Besides, it investigates how the message appeals and message framing affect the communication effect and how online word-of-mouth spreads among the virtual community. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS 18.0. The findings of this research reveals that community similarity is positively associated with the knowledge sharing and the intention of online word-of-mouth transmitting；Identification is positively associated with the knowledge contribution and the intention of online word-of-mouth transmitting；Trust is only positively associated with the knowledge acquisition. Second, positive framing, rational, emotional and self-expressive appeals all have positive influences on communication effect. Finally, the communication effect of messages and the degree of knowledge sharing both have positive impacts on the intention of online word-of-mouth transmission.

The current PhD thesis aimed to cross-culturally investigate the effectiveness of gain- and loss-framed physical activity messages among the university students in Turkey and the UK. This study sought to test the impact of the physical activity messages focusing on stress-related effects on physical activity intentions, attitudes and behaviours of the target group. The messages were developed based on the findings of a series of preliminary studies targeting to determine the characteristics and needs of the target groups, and identify the barriers to engage in physical activity. Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted with 309 university students from the two countries (200 participants from Turkey and 109 participants from the UK) to test the effects of framed messages on intentions and attitudes towards physical activity, and physical activity behaviour change in two weeks after message exposure. Results showed that immediate effects of both gain- and loss-framed messages on physical activity intentions and attitudes were significant in Turkey and the UK. However, these effects could not be maintained in the two weeks following the message exposure. Moreover, the loss-framed message led to a message reactance in the UK, and physical activity intensity of the participants in the loss-framed group were significantly decreased compared to their baseline physical activity levels. The present study was the first message framing study comparing Turkey and the UK in terms of the impact of gain- and loss-framed framed physical activity messages. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature through providing evidence on the effects of message framing interventions which are developed and implemented in different cultures. Recommendations for future message framing research include measuring physical activity behaviour through objective methods, and examining the impact of the tailored messages through using different dissemination methods in larger samples.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-06-01T13:11:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 nathaliamunckmachado.pdf: 2472600 bytes, checksum: 5e57568c0b9bd251def1f74cfdf9b386 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-06-02T15:13:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 nathaliamunckmachado.pdf: 2472600 bytes, checksum: 5e57568c0b9bd251def1f74cfdf9b386 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-02T15:13:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nathaliamunckmachado.pdf: 2472600 bytes, checksum: 5e57568c0b9bd251def1f74cfdf9b386 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-20 / Os fatores relacionados aos problemas causados pelo tabagismo justificam diversos esforços voltados para a busca de intervenções. Estratégias de comunicação para transmitir mensagens que expressam tanto as perdas associadas ao hábito de fumar quanto os ganhos obtidos ao parar de fumar têm sido usadas para reduzir o consumo de tabaco. Entretanto, poucos estudos têm avaliado o efeito de tais mensagens elaboradas para a cessação tabágica e ainda não existem conclusões claras sobre qual tipo de mensagem é mais eficaz para motivar as pessoas a parar de fumar. Objetivo: O estudo avaliou qual tipo de mensagem relacionada ao tabagismo (positiva ou negativa) foi mais eficaz para o recrutamento online de fumantes através do Facebook Advertising. Métodos: Anúncios contendo aspectos negativos do tabagismo e aspectos positivos da cessação foram criados e divulgados pelo Facebook Ads. Ao clicar nos anúncios, os usuários eram automaticamente direcionados para a intervenção “Viva sem Tabaco” (www.vivasemtabaco.com.br). O valor gasto na divulgação foi de 647,64 reais. Os dados foram extraídos da plataforma de anúncios do Facebook e dos logs de acesso do servidor. Os dados de logs foram tratados e analisados usando a linguagem de programação R. Resultados: O anúncio positivo atingiu 174.029 pessoas e o negativo atingiu 180.527 pessoas, que foram convertidos em 2.688 e 3.662 cliques, respectivamente. O custo do clique foi de R$0,12 para o anúncio positivo e de R$0,09 para o anúncio negativo. Conclusões: O anúncio negativo alcançou maior número de usuários, gerou mais cliques para o site e teve maior conversão em número de contas e plano de parada criados. Anúncios contendo aspectos negativos do tabagismo parecem ser mais custo efetivo para o recrutamento e engajamento de fumantes à intervenção. Além disso, o Facebook mostrou ser uma boa ferramenta de divulgação e recrutamento e pode ser uma solução para a dificuldade de alcançar fumantes para intervenções de cessação. / Introduction: Gain and loss-framed messages about smoking have been used to promote cessation. However, there are still no clear conclusions about what kind of message is more effective to motivate smokers to quit. This study compared the effectiveness of loss and gainframed messages on smokers’ online recruitment through Facebook Advertising. Methods: Loss and gain-framed messages about smoking were created and released by Facebook Ads. The users who clicked on the ads were automatically redirected to the "Live Without Tobacco" intervention (www.vivasemtabaco.com.br). The amount spent on disclosure was 647.64 Brazilian reals. Data were collected from Facebook Ads platform and from a relational database. Analyses were performed on the 6.350 users who clicked on one of the ads and on 1.731 that were redirected to the intervention. Results: Gain-framed ads reached 174,029 people and loss-framed ads reached 180,527, which were converted into 2.688 and 3,662 clicks, respectively. The cost of the click was R$0.12 for gain-famed ads and R$0.09 for the loss-framed. Conclusion: Loss-framed ads reached more users, got more clicks on the website, and had a greater conversion to the number of accounts and quit plans created. Loss-framed messages about smoking appear to be more cost effective for both recruitment and engagement of smokers to the intervention. Facebook has proven to be a good outreach and recruitment tool and can be a solution to the difficulty of reaching smokers for cessation interventions.

Cette thèse s'appuie sur une constatation à la fois troublante et paradoxale : augmenter la sensibilisation du public et combler les lacunes de connaissances sur les défis liés aux changements climatiques ne parviennent pas nécessairement à susciter un engagement accru en faveur de l’environnement et du climat, et peuvent même le compromettre dans certains cas. Si la sensibilisation ne suffit pas à catalyser l'action pour le climat et l’appui aux politiques climatiques, la question demeure : quels sont les véritables moteurs de l'engagement? Pour tenter de résoudre cette énigme, cette thèse fusionne les idées de trois avancées clés en psychologie sociale, et teste leur potentiel pour faire progresser l'engagement envers les changements climatiques au Canada. Le premier article examine comment différentes audiences au sein de la population canadienne pensent par rapport à l’environnement et aux changements climatiques, et explore si et comment le niveau d'engagement de l'audience modère l'effet de divers messages sur le soutien à la tarification du carbone. En analysant les données recueillies lors d'un sondage à probabilité aléatoire mené en octobre 2017 auprès d'adultes canadiens, cet article montre que la population canadienne peut être divisée en cinq segments distincts, offrant des cibles potentielles pour communiquer autour de la tarification du carbone. En étendant les conclusions de la littérature sur la segmentation de l'audience au cas canadien, et en explorant la façon dont chaque segment répond à différents messages sur la taxe carbone, cette étude souligne l'importance des données basées sur l'audience pour la recherche, la politique et la communication sur l’environnement et le climat, tout en jetant les bases pour de futures recherches visant à adapter les messages à différents publics. Le deuxième article examine comment les messages négatifs et positifs influencent les émotions et l'action climatique chez divers publics au sein du mouvement environnemental canadien. S'appuyant sur une enquête par panel auprès de membres d'ONG environnementales au Canada (N = 308) menée en 2019 et 2021, cette étude montre que les messages négatifs sur le changement climatique (par exemple, sonner le "code rouge pour l'humanité") peuvent être moins mobilisateurs que les messages positifs, même lorsque le message s'adresse à des publics relativement engagés et qu'il est suivi de la possibilité de prendre une action concrète et efficace. Ces résultats mettent en évidence le rôle que le cadrage du message peut jouer pour surmonter les défis cognitifs et émotionnels de la communication sur le changement climatique, tout en soulignant l'importance d'inspirer les gens avec des messages optimistes. Le troisième article examine le rôle de l'identité sociale dans la prédiction des intentions de mobilisation pour un changement au niveau du système (par rapport à un changement au niveau individuel) au sein de divers publics d'activistes et de non-activistes. S'appuyant sur deux enquêtes en ligne menées en 2021 et 2022 auprès d'un échantillon de partisans de Greenpeace Canada (N=1 394) et du public canadien (N=1 514), cette étude fournit des preuves empiriques suggérant que l'identité sociale peut jouer un rôle important dans l'explication de l'action collective, tout en soulignant l'importance de considérer soigneusement les publics lorsqu’on cherche à mobiliser en faveur d’un changement systémique. En offrant un test empirique du rôle de l'identité sociale dans la prédiction de l'action collective parmi divers publics, cet article offre une nouvelle perspective sur la façon dont les conditions individuelles et sociales peuvent interagir et agir ensemble pour favoriser la mobilisation environnementale. Ces résultats suggèrent que la communication et les interventions sur les changements climatiques sont susceptibles d'échouer si elles ne sont pas informées par des données empiriques basées sur une compréhension approfondie de l’audience. Cependant, comme le démontre cette dissertation, tirer parti des connaissances de la psychologie sociale peut aider à surmonter plusieurs des défis associés à la mobilisation du public sur les changements climatiques. / Paradoxically, increasing public awareness and addressing knowledge gaps about the causes and consequences of climate change are not sufficient to spur climate change engagement and may even undermine it in some circumstances. But if raising awareness about the issue is not enough to motivate climate action and support for climate policy, the question remains as to what will. To help address this puzzle, this dissertation fuses insights from three key findings in social psychology and tests their potential for advancing climate change engagement in Canada. The first article examines how unique audience segments within the Canadian population think about climate change and explores whether and how the level of audience engagement moderates the effect of various messages on support for carbon pricing. Analyzing data collected from a random probability survey of adult Canadians conducted in October 2017, this article shows that the Canadian population can be divided into five distinct segments, offering potential targets for communicating about carbon pricing. By extending the findings from the audience segmentation literature to the Canadian case and exploring how each segment responds to different messages about carbon taxes, this study emphasizes the importance of audience-based data for climate research, policy and communication while laying the groundwork for future research aimed at tailoring messages for different audiences. The second article examines how negative and positive messaging influence emotional arousal and climate action across unique audiences within Canada’s environmental movement. Drawing on a two-wave panel survey of Canadian environmentalist NGO members (N = 308) conducted in 2019 and 2021, this study shows that negative messages about climate change (e.g. sounding “code red for humanity”) can be less mobilizing than positive messaging, even when the message is directed toward relatively engaged audiences and followed by the opportunity to take specific and effective action. This finding highlights the role message framing may play in overcoming the cognitive and emotional challenges of climate change communication while further emphasizing the importance of inspiring people with optimistic messages. The third article examines the role of social identity in predicting intentions to mobilize for system change across diverse audiences of activists and non-activists. Drawing on two online surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022 with samples of Greenpeace Canada supporters (N = 1,394) and the Canadian public (N = 1,514), this study provides empirical evidence that social identity can be a powerful predictor of collective action intention and emphasizes the importance of integrating notions of audiences and group goals into existing social identity models of collective action. By offering an empirical test for the role of social identity in predicting collective action among diverse audiences, this article offers a fresh perspective on how individual and social conditions can interact and work together to foster environmental mobilization. These findings suggest that climate change communication and interventions are likely to fail if not informed by context-relevant, empirical, audience-based data. However, as this dissertation demonstrates, leveraging insights from social psychology can help overcome many of the challenges associated with engaging the public on climate change.

More sustainable food consumption and production could make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting natural resources. Nevertheless, the market shares of “green” products are still low. This cumulative dissertation aims to increase green consumption by exploring different marketing communication strategies. Article I shows that Point-of-Sale technologies such as digital signage and augmented reality can draw consumers' attention to sustainable products and increase their sales. Article II focuses on the formulation of advertisement messages and suggests that their credibility is a central driver for buying intentions. Since specifically formulated environmental benefits are perceived as particularly credible, their use is the most promising. The third article proves the effectiveness of a newly developed form of green advertisements aiming at increasing both the perceived customer orientation and environmental responsibility of a company. Article IV tests an information app to educate consumers about the sustainability of products and shows that a simple and credible 'sustainability index' is most effective in shaping behavior.

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