EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE MESSAGE STYLE

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The aim of this research is to test the effects of message enhancement for use in producing more effective drug abuse prevention literature for teenagers and for preparation of materials and selection of message strategies for use in prevention campaigns. Four experimental studies will be conducted to test the effects of these message styles on younger and older teenagers with different levels of need for sensation, and are moderate and non-users of "gateway" drugs, such as marijuana. Print and televised versions of the messages will be presented. Dependent measures in all four studies will include physiological arousal, affect, preferences for information exposure, comprehension, attitude, and behavioral intention. The focus of the studies is on design of persuasive messages to maximize their effect without overarousing subjects and driving them away. Research has indicated that messages containing the same factual content can generate significantly different levels of attention and comprehension as a function of the style in which they are written. More dramatically-told messages have been found to generate more arousal, more continued attention, and more understanding than messages in other forms. However, these findings did not take into account different levels of need for stimulation and did not cover topics directly involving the readers--such as decisions about drug use or non-use. On topics directly pertaining to the readers or viewers, increasing the arousal-inducing elements of messages might be more effective with one segment of the audience but provide too much stimulation for another and cause them to turn away. The final report will include a manual for preparation of messages with sections on (1) how to prepare the different types of messages and (2) strata of the audiences with whom each type of message has been found to be more effective.