COVID-19
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this randomized online experiment was to test the effectiveness of using various persuasive appeals (deontological moral frame, empathy, identifiable victim, goal proximity, and reciprocity) at improving intentions to adhere to prevention behaviors. Participants indicated their intentions to follow public health guidelines, saw one of six flyers featuring a persuasive appeal or no appeal, then rated their intentions a second time. Known correlates of attitudes toward public health measures were also measured.
Detailed description
Adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for COVID-19, including physical distancing, masking, staying home while sick, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces remain critical for limiting the spread of COVID-19. This study tests the effectiveness of using various persuasive appeals (deontological moral frame, empathy, identifiable victim, goal proximity, and reciprocity) at improving intentions to adhere to prevention behaviors. A randomized online experiment using a representative sample of adult Canadian residents with respect to age, ethnicity, and province of residence was conducted between March 3-6, 2021. Participants indicated their intentions to follow public health guidelines, saw one of six flyers featuring a persuasive appeal or no appeal, then rated their intentions a second time. Known correlates of attitudes toward public health measures were also measured.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPersuasive Appeal
Persuasive appeals were manipulated using promotional flyers ostensibly distributed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Sponsors
University of Calgary
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Adult Canadian residents * Target quotas for province of residence, age, gender, and ethnicity were set to obtain a demographically representative sample based on the 2016 census data
Exclusion criteria
* Province of residence, age, gender, and ethnicity once quotas are filled
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in intentions to engage in prevention behaviours | Same day | Index variables for intentions to engage in prevention behaviors (pre- and post-treatment) were created by averaging across six items (1. Limit my physical contact with others when possible, 2. Completely avoid any unnecessary physical contact with others \[e.g., hugging or handshakes\], 3. Avoid crowded indoor spaces, 4. Wear a mask when I leave the house, 5. Wash my hands as much as possible, and 6. Stay home when mildly sick) measured on 100-point sliding scales (0 = Strongly disagree, 50 = Neither agree nor disagree, 100 = Strongly agree). |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed