title: Message framing and pap test utilization among women attending a community health clinic.
abstract: In a randomized experiment, women (N = 441) watched either a loss- or gain-framed video emphasizing the prevention or detection functions of the Pap test to test the hypothesis that loss- and gain-framed messages differentially influence health behaviors depending on the risk involved in performing the behavior. As predicted, loss-framed messages emphasizing the costs of not detecting cervical cancer early (a risky behavior) and gain-framed messages emphasizing the benefits of preventing cervical cancer (a less risky behavior) were most persuasive in motivating women to obtain a Pap test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8205, USA.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rivers
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salovey
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Pizarro
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pizarro
authors.forename: Tamera R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003151:Community Health Centers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014743:Videotape Recording