Аннотация:
Introduction. The growing popularity of e-cigarettes as an alternative method of smoking requires the development of new approaches for preventive communication in order to increase the effectiveness of anti-smoking messages for consumers of electronic devices. For this purpose, such a communication tool as message framing can be used. In this study, the authors proposed to study the persuasiveness of two types of frames depending on the involvement of representatives of the target audience and their perceived risk of «unhealthy» behavior.
Methods. A study was conducted with a quantitative correlation design based on an non-probability sample of young people aged 18-35 years who regularly consume electronic cigarettes. An online questionnaire was developed for the study, which included indicators corresponding to the characteristics of respondents and the assessment of the persuasiveness of framed messages. The data were collected using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis methods using licensed IBM SPSS 25.0 software.
Results. 405 gender-balanced respondents took part in the study. The hypothesis about the relationship between the persuasiveness of the anti-smoking message frame and the degree of perceived risk of smoking electronic cigarettes has been confirmed. At the same time, e-cigarettes are perceived by the majority of respondents (40.8%) as posing a great danger. The hypothesis about the relationship between the persuasiveness of the frame and the involvement of e-cigarette consumers was partially confirmed: high involvement corresponds to a high indicator of the persuasiveness of the negative frame, no such correlation was found with respect to the positive frame.
Discussion. The results obtained demonstrate the need to consider e-cigarette smoking as an absolutely different type of unhealthy behavior, which is associated with an another degree of potential danger, which must be taken into account when conducting preventive communication campaigns. To encourage the refusal to consume electronic smoking devices, it is recommended to use messages with a negative frame that emphasizes the negative consequences of «unhealthy» behavior.
Conclusion. According to the results of the study, a significant potential of a negative message frame was discovered for conducting communication campaigns to encourage quitting smoking electronic cigarettes. In addition, it becomes obvious the importance of increasing the level of concern of e-cigarette consumers about the fact of smoking, which in the future can also increase the effectiveness of preventive communication.
Ключевые слова:
framing, communication, benefit frame, loss frame, electronic cigarettes, message framing, preventive communication