title: A Psychophysiological Study of Processing HIV/AIDS Public Service Announcements: The Effects of Novelty Appeals, Sexual Appeals, Narrative Versus Statistical Evidence, and Viewer's Sex.
abstract: This study used self-reports and physiological measures-heart rate (HR) and skin conductance level (SCL)-to examine the effects of novelty appeals, sexual appeals, narrative versus statistical evidence, and viewer's sex on cognitive and emotional processing of HIV/AIDS public service announcements (PSAs) among heterosexually active single college students. Novelty or sexual appeals differently affected self-reported attention and cognitive effort as measured by HR. High- rather than low-novelty HIV/AIDS PSAs, perceived as more attention-eliciting, did not lead to more cognitive effort. High- rather than low-sex HIV/AIDS PSAs, not perceived as more attention-eliciting, led to more cognitive effort as reflected by greater HR deceleration. Novelty or sexual appeals also affected self-reported emotional arousal and SCL differently. HIV/AIDS PSAs with high rather than low levels of novelty or sexual appeals led to greater self-reported arousal, but not greater SCL. Message evidence interacted with message appeals to affect cognitive effort. Participants exerted greater cognitive effort during high- rather than low-novelty narrative HIV/AIDS PSAs, and during low- rather than high-novelty statistical ones. The advantage of high over low sexual appeals was more obvious in statistical than in narrative HIV/AIDS PSAs. Males reported greater emotional arousal than females during high- rather than low-sex HIV/AIDS PSAs.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication Arts , New York Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Jueman Mandy
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: b School of Journalism , University of Texas at Austin.
authors.forename: Gina Masullo
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: c S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications , Syracuse University.
authors.forename: T Makana
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chock
authors.affiliation: d Department of Communication , University of Connecticut.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: e Department of Statistics , University of Central Florida.
authors.forename: Liqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: f TiVo, Inc .
authors.forename: Valarie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schweisberger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011603:Psychophysiology / Q000379:methods*; D066308:Public Service Announcements as Topic; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult