The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the news cycle for the better part of 2020. As guidelines are continually updated to reflect changes in our understanding of how the virus spreads, it is critical people receive accurate, credible information that encourages prevention. Understanding the factors that influence these messages’ effectiveness is crucial.
A group of researchers published a paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reporting their findings from a study funded by the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy (InCHIP) at the University of Connecticut on how the source of a COVID-19 prevention message affects its perceived effectiveness.
This multi-institution project brought together the varied expertise of UConn Health’s Howard Tennen, a professor of public health sciences in the School of Medicine, Marcella Boynton ’05 (MA) ’09 (PhD), an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Joseph Lee, an associate professor from East Carolina University, and Ross O’Hara, a former UConn Health postdoctoral fellow and independent researcher from Michigan.
The team conducted an experiment with a diverse group of nearly 1,000 American adults to test the effectiveness of different messages encouraging coronavirus safety measures such as wearing a mask or social distancing. Messages systematically varied in several ways, including who was attributed as the source of the message. Participants were told messages came from President Donald Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Trump and the CDC, a local or state health agency, or no source.
The team found when Trump’s name was associated with the message, the effectiveness of those messages decreased, not just compared to other sources, but even when there was no source at all.
“Asking the public to restrict their behavior and social ties in such a big way is a difficult sell,” Tennen says. “For these prevention messages to be believed, they have to come from a trusted source. We are in uncharted waters when it comes to effectively persuading people to wear masks and socially distance, and that’s why we thought conducting this study was so important.”
After receiving a postcard encouraging citizens to engage in social distancing and other prevention behaviors with Trump’s name prominently featured, Boynton wondered whether this unusual messaging strategy was more effective compared to the traditional approach of citing a public health agency or organization as the message source.
Interestingly, the researchers found even participants who said they trust Trump did not find messages from him more effective compared to other message sources. However, those who said they do not trust the president found the messages significantly less effective when associated with Trump.
Image Credit: Youtube
Post by Amanda Scott, NA CEO. Follow her on twitter @tantriclens
Thanks to Heinz V. Hoenen. Follow him on twitter: @HeinzVHoenen
News This Week
Tiny robots made from human cells heal damaged tissue
The ‘anthrobots’ were able to repair a scratch in a layer of neurons in the lab. Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells that are able to repair damaged neural tissue1. The [...]
Antimicrobial Resistance – A Global Concern
Key facts Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to [...]
Advancing Pancreatic Cancer Treatment with Nanoparticle-Based Chemotherapy
Pancreatic cancer, a particularly lethal form of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world, often remains undiagnosed until its advanced stages due to a lack of early symptoms. [...]
The ‘jigglings and wigglings of atoms’ reveal key aspects of COVID-19 virulence evolution
Richard Feynman famously stated, "Everything that living things do can be understood in terms of the jigglings and wigglings of atoms." This week, Nature Nanotechnology features a study that sheds new light on the evolution of the coronavirus [...]
AI system self-organizes to develop features of brains of complex organisms
Cambridge scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system—in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints—allows it to develop features [...]
How Blind People Recognize Faces via Sound
Summary: A new study reveals that people who are blind can recognize faces using auditory patterns processed by the fusiform face area, a brain region crucial for face processing in sighted individuals. The study employed [...]
Treating tumors with engineered dendritic cells
Cancer biologists at EPFL, UNIGE, and the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg) have developed a novel immunotherapy that does not require knowledge of a tumor's antigenic makeup. The new results may pave the way [...]
Networking nano-biosensors for wireless communication in the blood
Biological computing machines, such as micro and nano-implants that can collect important information inside the human body, are transforming medicine. Yet, networking them for communication has proven challenging. Now, a global team, including EPFL [...]
Popular Hospital Disinfectant Ineffective Against Common Superbug
Research conducted during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week examines the effects of employing suggested chlorine-based chemicals to combat Clostridioides difficile, the leading cause of antibiotic-related illness in healthcare environments worldwide. A recent study reveals that a [...]
Subjectivity and the Evolution of AI Philosophy
An Historical Overview of the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence by Anton Vokrug Many famous people in the philosophy of technology have tried to comprehend the essence of technology and link it to society and human [...]
How Lockdowns Shaped the Virus: AI Uncovers COVID-19’s Evolutionary Secrets
A new research study shows that human behavior, like lockdowns, influences the evolution of COVID-19, leading to strains that are more transmissible earlier in their lifecycle. Using artificial intelligence technology and mathematical modeling, a research [...]
Groundbreaking therapy approved: chances of cure for 7000 diseases:
Hereditary diseases are usually not curable. Now, however, an epochal turning point is taking place in medicine: For the first time ever, a therapy with the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors has received approval. According to [...]
Uncovering the Genetic Mystery: Why Some Never Show COVID-19 Symptoms
New study shows that common genetic variation among people is responsible for mediating SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infection. Have you ever wondered why some people never became sick from COVID-19? A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that common [...]
AI maps tumor geography for tailored treatments
Researchers have integrated AI approaches from satellite mapping and community ecology to develop a tool to interpret data obtained from tumor tissue imaging, with the aim of implementing a more individualized approach to cancer care. [...]
Lung cancer cells’ ‘memories’ suggest new strategy for improving treatment
A new understanding of lung cancer cells' "memories" suggests a new strategy for improving treatment, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) researchers have found. Research from the lab of cancer biologist Tuomas Tammela, MD, Ph.D. [...]
Artificial sensor similar to a human fingerprint can recognize fine fabric textures
An artificial sensory system that is able to recognize fine textures—such as twill, corduroy and wool—with a high resolution, similar to a human finger, is reported in a Nature Communications paper. The findings may help improve the subtle [...]
