title: Impact of locus of control on health message effectiveness.
abstract: This article examined how individuals' locus of control might moderate the effect of health message frames. An experiment was conducted whereby participants read either individual- or social-responsibility message frames after their locus of control was primed. Results indicated that messages presented in individual-responsibility frames were more persuasive when people were primed with internal locus of control, whereas social-responsibility framed appeals were more persuasive when people were primed with external locus of control. These results were found for individuals in both high and low cognitive load conditions. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
authors: Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies, Towson University, Maryland, USA. ykong@towson.edu
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Kong
authors: Fuyuan
authors: F
authors: Shen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D012941:Social Responsibility