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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

The body as a barrier: How salient illness symptoms influence responses to health communication messages

Silver, Nathaniel Aaron
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557154578991111

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Communication.
This dissertation tests the proposition that the salience of illness symptoms biases processing of health messages. It is argued that through making salient the idea that one’s body can be both a burden and a barrier to the satisfaction of one’s intrinsic needs, illness symptomology may evoke identity threat and the corresponding need to defend our preexisting worldviews. After validating a manipulation of perceptions of the body as a barrier and as a burden, a 2 (symptom reflection v. control reflection) x 2 (male v. female source) x 2(smoking v. nutrition message topic) factorial experiment was conducted on an adult population with 50% smokers. Results suggest that eliciting perceptions of the body as a barrier may have positive (though predominantly indirect) effects on message responses but negative effects on persuasive outcomes related to behavioral intentions. Meanwhile, perceiving the body as a burden appears to elicit negative message responses but positive persuasive outcomes. Post-hoc analyses provide evidence that disgust and attachment insecurity may also influence biased processing of health messages. Several implications related to message design and placement are discussed.
Michael Slater (Advisor)
Shelly Hovick (Committee Member)
Hyunyi Cho (Committee Member)
173 p.
Communication
Biased processing, Disgust, Health communication

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Silver, N. A. (2019). The body as a barrier: How salient illness symptoms influence responses to health communication messages [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557154578991111

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Silver, Nathaniel. The body as a barrier: How salient illness symptoms influence responses to health communication messages. 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557154578991111.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Silver, Nathaniel. "The body as a barrier: How salient illness symptoms influence responses to health communication messages." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557154578991111

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1557154578991111
305
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.