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Article
Conversation and Compliance: Role of Interpersonal Discussion and Social Norms in Public Communication Campaigns
Journal of Health Communication (2012)
  • Lauren B. Frank, Portland State University
  • Joyee S. Chatterjee, University of Southern California
  • Sonal T. Chaudhuri
  • Charlotte Lapsansky, University of Southern California
  • Anurudra Bhanot
  • Sheila T. Murphy
Abstract

This study explores the role of interpersonal discussion and social norms in a public health campaign, the BBC Condom Normalization Campaign, designed to promote conversation and change the public perception of condom use in India. Drawing upon the integrative model of behavioral prediction, attitudes, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and descriptive norms were predicted to relate to behavioral intentions to use condoms. It is important to note that the valence of discussion was hypothesized to relate to each of these more proximal predictors. The authors used structural equation modeling to test the model on 3 separate samples of Indian men between the ages of 15 and 49 years: (a) high-risk men who had sex with nonspouses; (b) low-risk, sexually inactive, unmarried men; and (c) low-risk, monogamous, married men. Results were similar for low- and high-risk audiences, with valence of discussion about condoms predicting condom-related attitudes, self-efficacy, and subjective and descriptive social norms with respect to condom use, which, in turn, predicted behavioral intent to use condoms. These findings underscore the need to take not only the frequency but also the valence of interpersonal discussion into account when assessing the effect of health campaigns. Implications for theory and design of future public communication campaigns are explored.

Keywords
  • Interpersonal communication,
  • Behavior health promotion,
  • Condoms -- Social aspects,
  • Psychological aspects,
  • Self-efficacy,
  • Social norms,
  • Structural equation modeling
Disciplines
Publication Date
July 18, 2012
Citation Information
Lauren B. Frank, Joyee S. Chatterjee, Sonal T. Chaudhuri, Charlotte Lapsansky, et al.. "Conversation and Compliance: Role of Interpersonal Discussion and Social Norms in Public Communication Campaigns" Journal of Health Communication Vol. 17 Iss. 9 (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/lauren_frank/11/