Attitude and norm accessibility affect processing of anti-smoking messages.
OBJECTIVE
Anti-smoking PSAs are not always effective in reducing cigarette smoking, and there is a lack of research into mechanisms through which PSAs affect the attitudes and behaviors of viewers. The present research was designed to better understand how smokers and non-smokers process anti-smoking ads.


METHODS
In a repeated measures design, the accessibility of smokers' (N = 70) and non-smokers' (N = 96) attitudes toward and norms concerning smoking were assessed and then their reactions to four anti-smoking PSAs were measured.


RESULTS
The accessibility of smokers' attitudes toward smoking-how quickly they bring their attitudes to mind-predicted their central processing of ad content, and smokers who counterargued in response to the ads were not persuaded by them. The accessibility of smokers' norms for smoking-how quickly they bring to mind social support for smoking-predicted their peripheral processing of the ads, and imbued resistance to persuasion. In contrast, non-smokers' attitude and norm accessibility were unrelated to ad processing.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that anti-smoking ads may have paradoxical effects on smokers and may actually undermine anti-smoking efforts. Furthermore, smokers who can readily access a pro-smoking norm are unlikely to process anti-smoking messages, which may further hinder anti-smoking efforts.
Rhodes
Nancy
N
Institute for Social Science Research, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0216, USA. nrhodes@bama.ua.edu
Roskos-Ewoldsen
David R
DR
Edison
Aimee
A
Bradford
Mary Beth
MB
D001290:Attitude; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008402:Mass Media; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011930:Reaction Time; D012044:Regression Analysis; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012933:Social Identification; D040241:Social Marketing; D012945:Social Values; D015144:Southeastern United States