INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TELEVISED ANTI-DRUG PSAS

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This proposal is for a competing continuation of a project which addresses a limited but vitally important objective--how to reach out via televised anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs) to particular at-risk audiences to motivate participation in other phases of drug abuse prevention programs. The proposed study extends research devoted to more effective design and targeting of PSAs to reach high sensation seeking teens and young adults with prevention information. Sensation seeking, a trait characterized by novelty-seeking and/or risk-taking, is strongly related to drug use and is associated with attention to novel and arousing (high sensation value) messages and with participation in a variety of stimulating activities. Our prior laboratory research has demonstrated the effectiveness of televised anti-drug PSAs designed through formative research to appeal to high sensation seekers (HSS). The principal goal of the proposed study is to field test the effectiveness of this highly promising message targeting strategy in a 6-month television anti-drug PSA campaign in a medium-sized market (Lexington, KY).. The specific goals of the study include: 1) to test the effectiveness of laboratory developed and/or tested high sensation value televised PSAs in motivating HSS older teens and young adults to call a telephone hotline providing information about alternatives to drug use, particularly activities filling needs for sensation; 2) to assess the effectiveness of a hotline brochure in motivating callers to engage in a variety of such activities available in communities reached by the campaign; 3) examine both short- and longer-term relationships among participation in such activities, sensation seeking, and drug use; 4) examine the relationships of sensation seeking and drug use to PSA exposure and recall, drug attitudes and beliefs, and other measures of PSA effectiveness. The campaign will employ professionally produced PSAs and both purchased and donated time to ensure high saturation. Evaluation of the campaign will be accomplished via: 1) a pre-post campaign panel survey of a sample of the target audience using a variety of measures of PSA effectiveness; 2) smaller samples interviewed by telephone monthly during the campaign to evaluate the effectiveness of each individual PSA; 3) a four wave, two- year panel survey of hotline callers to determine its effectiveness in motivating callers to engage in alternative activities, and the effects of such participation on drug use.