Risk, threat, and information seeking about genital herpes: The effects of mood and message framing

• Published in: Communication studies Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 141 - 152
• Main Author: Mitchell, Monique M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: West Lafayette Taylor & Francis Group 22-06-2001; Central States Communication Association; Central States Speech Association
• Subjects: Attitude Change; Attitudes; College students; Educational research; Genital diseases, Female; Genital diseases, Male; Health Promotion; Herpes; Herpes viruses; Herpesvirus diseases; Information Seeking; Intention; Literature Reviews; Mood (Psychology); Patient Education; Public service advertising; Self Efficacy; Sensory perception; Sexually transmitted diseases; Social psychology; STD; United States
• ISSN: 1051-0974; 1745-1035
• DOI: 10.1080/10510970109388548

This paper examines the effect that mood and message frame has on perceived threat, efficacy, attitude, intention and, ultimately, behavior regarding genital herpes information seeking. A 2 (message frame: negative/positive) X 2 (mood: happy/sad) independent groups experiment examining the interaction between mood and message framing was conducted. A two-way interaction between mood and message framing on the dependent variable(s) was hypothesized such that persons in a sad mood will be more persuaded (as evidenced by heightened threat, efficacy, attitude, intention and behavior) by a negatively framed message given its mood congruent qualities. And, persons in a happy mood were posited to be more persuaded by a positively framed message given its mood congruent qualities. A main effect for mood was also proposed, given that sad persons are expected to pay closer attention to the message(s) overall. These data were partially consistent with the hypotheses. In the main, frame and mood elicited separate effects. Sadness is positively correlated with severity and susceptibility of genital herpes. Frame increases response efficacy. A path model articulating the relationships among all variables is proposed.