Can a Social Norms Appeal Reduce Indoor Tanning? Preliminary Findings From a Tailored Messaging Intervention

Nick Carcioppolo; Wei Peng; Di Lun; Aurora Occa

doi:10.1177/1090198119839105

Can a Social Norms Appeal Reduce Indoor Tanning? Preliminary Findings From a Tailored Messaging Intervention

Nick Carcioppolo
, Wei Peng
, Di Lun
, Aurora Occa

Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Perceived social norms are routinely observed as positive predictors of indoor tanning. Past research has suggested that messaging interventions target normative perceptions to reduce indoor tanning behavior. Despite this call, little empirical research has investigated the utility of taking a social norms approach in behavioral interventions. The present study addresses this gap by conducting a quasi-experiment (N = 206) assessing the effect of an intervention message correcting normative misperceptions on indoor tanning intentions at different levels of tanning frequency. Results suggest that tailored normative intervention messages can successfully reduce tanning intentions among high-frequency tanners, those who scored at the 75th and 90th percentile of tanning frequency (f² for interaction =.015). These results provide preliminary empirical evidence to support previous theorizing on the efficacy of social norms interventions among high-frequency indoor tanners.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	818-823
Number of pages	6
Journal	Health Education and Behavior
Volume	46
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119839105
State	Published - Oct 1 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Society for Public Health Education.

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute R25CA128770 (D. Teegarden) Cancer Prevention Internship Program (Nick Carcioppolo) administered by the Oncological Sciences Center and the Discovery Learning Research Center at Purdue University.

Funders	Funder number
Oncological Sciences Center
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Childhood Cancer Registry – National Cancer Institute	R25CA128770
Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Purdue University

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

indoor tanning
melanoma
normative misperceptions
social norms

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Access to Document

10.1177/1090198119839105

Cite this

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abstract = "Perceived social norms are routinely observed as positive predictors of indoor tanning. Past research has suggested that messaging interventions target normative perceptions to reduce indoor tanning behavior. Despite this call, little empirical research has investigated the utility of taking a social norms approach in behavioral interventions. The present study addresses this gap by conducting a quasi-experiment (N = 206) assessing the effect of an intervention message correcting normative misperceptions on indoor tanning intentions at different levels of tanning frequency. Results suggest that tailored normative intervention messages can successfully reduce tanning intentions among high-frequency tanners, those who scored at the 75th and 90th percentile of tanning frequency (f2 for interaction =.015). These results provide preliminary empirical evidence to support previous theorizing on the efficacy of social norms interventions among high-frequency indoor tanners.",

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AU - Peng, Wei

AU - Lun, Di

AU - Occa, Aurora

PY - 2019/10/1

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AB - Perceived social norms are routinely observed as positive predictors of indoor tanning. Past research has suggested that messaging interventions target normative perceptions to reduce indoor tanning behavior. Despite this call, little empirical research has investigated the utility of taking a social norms approach in behavioral interventions. The present study addresses this gap by conducting a quasi-experiment (N = 206) assessing the effect of an intervention message correcting normative misperceptions on indoor tanning intentions at different levels of tanning frequency. Results suggest that tailored normative intervention messages can successfully reduce tanning intentions among high-frequency tanners, those who scored at the 75th and 90th percentile of tanning frequency (f2 for interaction =.015). These results provide preliminary empirical evidence to support previous theorizing on the efficacy of social norms interventions among high-frequency indoor tanners.

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KW - melanoma

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Can a Social Norms Appeal Reduce Indoor Tanning? Preliminary Findings From a Tailored Messaging Intervention

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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