The Influence Of Approach/Avoidance Motivation On The Framework Effect Of Smoking Warning Messages

Smoking warning information plays an important role in promoting smokers’ motivation to quit and changing their smoking behavior.This study further explored the effects of gain/loss information framework and approach/avoidance motivation on smokers’ smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan.The core question of this study is to examine the influence of approach/avoidance motivation and information framework on smokers’ willingness to quit.To this end,we set up two research objectives: One is to compare the effects of the gain/loss framework information in smoking warning messages on smokers’ intention to quit,smoking cessation action plan and smoking attitude.The second is to investigate the role of the trait and state of approach/avoidance motivation in the gain/loss framing effect.Study 1 mainly examined the influence of the gain/loss information framework of smoking warning messages on the persuasion effect of smokers to quit.In study 1,73 male smokers were selected as subjects,and a mixed experimental design of 2 frame type(gain frame,loss frame)×2 measurement time(pre-test and post-test)was adopted.The main results showed that:(1)The gain/loss framework of smoking warning messages can effectively change smokers’ smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan.(2)Compared with the loss frame warning message,the warning message prepared with the gain frame has a greater effect on smokers’ intention to quit smoking and their action plan to quit smoking.(3)There is no significant difference in the change of smokers’ attitudes to smoking in the gain/loss framework.Study 2a mainly focuses on individual personality differences to investigate the influence of approach/avoidance motivation traits on the gain/loss framing effect of smoking warning messages.In study 2a,163 male smokers were selected as subjects,and a mixed experimental design was adopted: 2 motivational traits(approach motivational traits,avoidance motivational traits)×2 frame types(gain frame,loss frame)×2 measurement time(pre-test,post-test).The main results showed that: In terms of smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan,the main effect of measuring time was significant,the main effect of frame type was not significant,the main effect of motivational trait was not significant,and the triple interaction was significant.Simple effect analysis showed that there were no significant differences in smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan for approach/avoidance motivation individuals.Under the posttest condition,the scores of smoking attitude and smoking cessation action plan after reading the warning information in the gain frame were significantly higher than those in the loss frame.The scores of smoking attitude and smoking cessation action plan after reading the loss frame warning information were significantly higher than those after reading the gain frame information.However,the influence of approach/avoidance motivation traits and gain/loss framework on quitting intention was not significant.Study 2b mainly focuses on the approach/avoidance motivation state and examines the influence of the approach/avoidance motivation state on the gain/loss framing effect in smoking warning messages.In study 2b,170 male smokers were selected as subjects,and a mixed experimental design was adopted: 2 motivation states(approach motivation state,avoidance motivation state)×2 frame types(gain frame,loss frame)×2 measurement time(pre-test,post-test).The main results showed that: In terms of smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan,the main effect of measurement time was significant,the main effect of frame type was not significant,the main effect of motivation state was not significant,and the triple interaction was significant.There were no significant differences in smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan among the individuals with approach/avoidance motivation state.In the post-test condition,the scores of smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan after reading the warning information in the gain frame were significantly higher than those in the loss frame.The scores of smoking attitude,smoking cessation intention and smoking cessation action plan after reading the loss frame warning information were significantly higher than those of reading the gain frame information.This study draws the following conclusions:(1)Compared with the loss frame smoking warning message,the persuasion effect of the gain frame smoking warning message is better;(2)Smokers who were close to the motivational trait/state had better effect on smoking cessation persuasion when they read the benefit frame warning messages,while smokers who avoided the motivational trait/state had better effect on smoking cessation persuasion when they read the loss frame warning messages.