As we explore online health communications (HC) , the challenges aren’t that different from offline HC, though I am convinced online HC requires more creativity in consistent content production. This post is a reflection on the fundamentals of human communications and a critique of common practice. Being heard amidst marketing and advertising noise requires an understanding of psychological factors in human information processing.
Hello selective attention:
Selective Exposure (or attention): People in general pay attention to media and content or messages that have a personal relevance to them or with which they already agree.
- Hence the reason why mainstream marketing strategies take their main messages and mix them with triggers; e.g. a sexy lady, handsome man, popular music and fashion. But what they don’t do is mix up, fun, pleasure, enjoyment, with an opposing message: In HC the goal is to increase health seeking behavior and not trivialize the health message or send contradictory signals but to raise an informed call to action.
- Truth is, an STI is not fun or pleasurable and there is no reason to be laughing on your way to the clinic. Why? Because it could have been a trip to meet your new HIV Physician, and we all know “HIV is No Picnic“. Stop turning Public Health messages that are meant to create not only awareness but an emotional feeling of ‘importance’, ‘personal relevance’, ‘urgency’, ‘seriousness’ into a pop culture of one hit wonders (Health Promotion campaigns today). We should focus on facilitating the target group’s step beyond simply raising awareness, but into contemplation, action and further.
Selective Perception: when exposed to media content and information this is not in agreement with their attitudes, individuals tend to reinterpret this information to be in accord with their existing attitudes and beliefs.
- This is a case for the Pre Test police. When pre testing is taken seriously, HC can ensure that the right or desired interpretation will take place. It would be even better to pre test it with target groups other than the primary target group in order to simulate a social encounter with the message and discover the arguments. This would give us a better idea of how to minimise misinterpretations.
- We could pilot a HC project to improve attitudes of young people towards sexual health and designed a HC strategy targeting, parents, principles and teachers instead of students? WHY NOT? It hasn’t been tried before.
Selective retention: when information not in agreement with their attitude is committed to memory it is often recalled in a way more favourable towards pre-existing attitudes and beliefs.
- E.g. I had sex with Jonny the other week, without a condom and I got tested – I didn’t catch anything. I was right, Jonny doesn’t look like the type to give STIs. E.g. I’ve been having sex without a condom for ages now, but I haven’t caught anything. Maybe it’s something that only blackfellas catch.
#6 Signs of an evidence based HC message
– Use eye-catching graphics, colour, size of ads and video can be should be taken into design stages.
– Prevent target group getting used to the same style of campaign format.
– Link the desired belief to an already accepted belief (e.g. Not using a condom can put you at risk of acquiring HIV + Life with HIV is No Picnic)
– Think of the target group’s “latitude of acceptance”. Use the Health Belief Model and make clear what the practical risk and benefits are of practising the desired behaviour.
– Empathise with the target group but Caution them to practise the desired behaviour. This will put off counterarguments which forces people to be distracted from the message which then will end in the rejection of the message.
– According to research, you should use ‘cool’ messages not ‘hot’, so as not to be perceived to be preaching or dictating.
References
1. Donovan RJ (1992). Using media for road safety public education campaigns. Report to Traffic Board of Western Australia.
2. Egger G, Donovan RJ, Spark RA ( 1993). Health and the media: Principles and practises for health promotion. Sydney; McGraw-Hill
3. Sherif CW, Sherif M, Nebergall RE (1965). Attitude and attitude change: The social judgement-involvement approach. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders
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