Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
2-2015
Abstract
This study tests whether policy narratives designed to increase support for obesity-reducing public policies should explicitly acknowledge individual responsibility while emphasizing social, physical, and economic (social) determinants of obesity. We use a web-based, randomized experiment with a nationally representative sample of American adults (n = 718) to test hypotheses derived from theory and research on narrative persuasion. Respondents exposed to narratives that acknowledged individual responsibility while emphasizing obesity’s social determinants were less likely to engage in counterargument and felt more empathy for the story’s main character than those exposed to a message that did not acknowledge individual responsibility. Counterarguing and affective empathy fully mediated the relationship between message condition and support for policies to reduce rates of obesity. Failure to acknowledge individual responsibility in narratives emphasizing social determinants of obesity may undermine the persuasiveness of policy narratives. Omitting information about individual responsibility, a strongly-held American value, invites the public to engage in counterargument about the narratives and reduces feelings of empathy for a character that experiences the challenges and benefits of social determinants of obesity.
Keywords
controlled study, empathy, female, interpersonal communication, male, obesity, policy, social behavior, social determinants of health, social support, United States, health care policy, obesity
Discipline
Business and Corporate Communications | Health Policy | Social Influence and Political Communication
Research Areas
Corporate Communication
Publication
PLoS ONE
Volume
10
Issue
2
First Page
e0117565-1
Last Page
11
ISSN
1932-6203
Identifier
10.1371/journal.pone.0117565
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Citation
NIEDERDEPPE, Jeff; Sungjong ROH; and SHAPIRO, Michael A..
Acknowledging individual responsibility while emphasizing social determinants in narratives to promote obesity-reducing public policy: A randomized experiment. (2015). PLoS ONE. 10, (2), e0117565-1-11.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/4848
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117565
Included in
Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Health Policy Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons