title: Incorporating immersive virtual environments in health promotion campaigns: a construal level theory approach.
abstract: In immersive virtual environments (IVEs), users may observe negative consequences of a risky health behavior in a personally involving way via digital simulations. In the context of an ongoing health promotion campaign, IVEs coupled with pamphlets are proposed as a novel messaging strategy to heighten personal relevance and involvement with the issue of soft-drink consumption and obesity, as well as perceptions that the risk is proximal and imminent. The framework of construal level theory guided the design of a 2 (tailoring: other vs. self) × 2 (medium: pamphlet only vs. pamphlet with IVEs) between-subjects experiment to test the efficacy in reducing the consumption of soft drinks over 1 week. Immediately following exposure, tailoring the message to the self (vs. other) seemed to be effective in reducing intentions to consume soft drinks. The effect of tailoring dissipated after 1 week, and measures of actual soft-drink consumption 1 week following experimental treatments demonstrated that coupling IVEs with the pamphlet was more effective. Behavioral intention was a significant predictor of actual behavior, but underlying mechanisms driving intentions and actual behavior were distinct. Results prescribed a messaging strategy that incorporates both tailoring and coupling IVEs with traditional media to increase behavioral changes over time.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Advertising & Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication , University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Sun Joo Grace
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010174:Pamphlets; D011582:Psychological Theory; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult