Encouraging preventive behavior for distant and proximal health threats: effects of vivid versus abstract information.
To prevent disability in old age, appropriate health practices must be initiated at an age when many health threats are likely to seem distant. How can people be motivated to undertake preventive efforts aimed at distant as well as more immediate health threats? Recent social psychological theory suggests that vividly presented information is more persuasive than abstractly presented information, particularly for certain kinds of audiences. This study presented vivid versus abstract information about osteoporosis to two audiences who differed in proximity to this threat: premenopausal women (distant threat) versus postmenopausal women (proximal threat). The vivid version was expected to be particularly persuasive among the premenopausal women, but the two versions were expected to be equally persuasive among the postmenopausal women. This prediction was confirmed for the women's health attitudes and behavioral intentions. A 6-weeks follow-up indicated no differential impact on their actual health practices and recall of the health advice, although the vivid version was perceived by both groups to have had greater behavioral impact.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D013664:Teaching Materials; D013997:Time Factors