Interactivity in risk communication: The interaction effect for threat, response efficacy, and interactivity
Abstract
Communicating the risk of a disease and the ways to prevent the disease is important. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to identify what message to present and how to present it effectively to the public. This study examined whether interactive presentational format improves a high threat and high response efficacy message communicating meningitis risk and meningococcal vaccination. A posttest-only experiment was conducted to examine if there was a three-way interaction effect for threat, response efficacy, and interactivity on individuals' message involvement, message processing, perceived message effectiveness, attitude, information seeking intention, and behavioral intention. Results suggested an interaction among interactivity, threat, and response efficacy on message involvement such that the two-way interaction for threat and response efficacy was significant in the high interactivity condition, while it was not significant when message was presented in low interactive format. No other three-way interaction was present on other dependent variables. Implications of the results for future research are discussed.
Degree
M.A.
Advisors
Cho, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication
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