eprintid: 26511
rev_number: 13
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1589
dir: disk0/00/02/65/11
datestamp: 2019-08-06 12:20:21
lastmod: 2019-08-22 09:54:31
status_changed: 2019-08-06 12:20:21
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Stoffel, Sandro T.
creators_name: Goodwin, Maria
creators_name: Sieverding, Monika
creators_name: Vlaev, Ivo
creators_name: von Wagner, Christian
title: Testing verbal quantifiers for social norms messages in cancer screening: evidence from an online experiment
subjects: 150
subjects: 610
divisions: 100200
keywords: Decision making, Social norms, Quantifiers, Nudge, Cancer screening, Online experiment
abstract: Background: Studies have shown that presenting correct information about group norms to correct misperceptions of norms can influence health behaviours. In two online studies we investigated how different ways of communicating the current uptake of 43% of the English Bowel Scope Screening (BSS) programme affects intention among disinclined men and women.

Methods: In the first study, 202 participants were asked to interpret eight quantifiers for 43% uptake (‘few’, ‘many’, ‘a considerable number’, ‘a large number’, ‘a great number’, ‘a lot’, ‘numerous’ and ‘nearly half’) and to indicate how misleading they perceived each of them to be. In the second study, with 1245 participants, we compared the motivational impact of two quantifiers (‘a large number’ and ‘nearly half’ which were associated with the highest perceived uptake (48.9%) and considered least misleading in study 1 respectively) with a control message that did not contain any information on uptake, and a message which communicated actual uptake as a proportion (43%).

Results: While we found that both verbal quantifiers increased screening intentions compared with the control group (from 7.8 to 12.5%, aOR 1.72; 95%CI 1.00–2.96 in the case of ‘a large number’ and 14.3%, aOR 2.02; 95%CI 1.20–3.38 for ‘nearly half’), simply communicating that 43% do the test, however, had no impact on intentions (9.9% vs. 7.8% aOR 1.25; 95%CI 0.73–2.16).

Conclusion: Verbal quantifiers can be used to improve the perception of low uptake figures and avoid a demotivating effect.
date: 2019
publisher: BioMed Central
id_scheme: DOI
ppn_swb: 1671851455
own_urn: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-265115
language: eng
bibsort: STOFFELSANTESTINGVER2019
full_text_status: public
publication: BMC Public Health
volume: 19
number: 658
place_of_pub: London
pagerange: 1-11
issn: 1471-2458
citation:   Stoffel, Sandro T. ; Goodwin, Maria ; Sieverding, Monika ; Vlaev, Ivo ; von Wagner, Christian  (2019) Testing verbal quantifiers for social norms messages in cancer screening: evidence from an online experiment.  BMC Public Health, 19 (658).  pp. 1-11.  ISSN 1471-2458     
document_url: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/26511/1/12889_2019_Article_6997.pdf