title: Representation, Exemplification, and Risk: Resonance of Tobacco Graphic Health Warnings Across Diverse Populations.
abstract: As countries implement Article 11 of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, graphic warning labels that use images of people and their body parts to illustrate the consequences of smoking are being added to cigarette packs. According to exemplification theory, these case examples-exemplars-can shape perceptions about risk and may resonate differently among demographic subpopulations. Drawing on data from eight focus groups (N = 63) with smokers and nonsmokers from vulnerable populations, this qualitative study explores whether people considered exemplars in their reactions to and evaluations of U.S. graphic health warning labels initially proposed by the Food and Drug Administration. Participants made reference to prior and concurrent mass media messages and exemplars during the focus groups and used demographic cues in making sense of the images on the warning labels. Participants were particularly sensitive to age of the exemplars and how it might affect label effectiveness and beliefs about smoking. Race and socioeconomic status also were salient for some participants. We recommend that exemplars and exemplification be considered when selecting and evaluating graphic health warnings for tobacco labels and associated media campaigns.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
authors.forename: Cabral A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bigman
authors.affiliation: b School of Journalism & Mass Communication , University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Rebekah H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Nagler
authors.affiliation: c Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences , Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health; Center for Community-Based Research and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Viswanath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011356:Product Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D012923:Social Class; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D014026:Nicotiana