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Purpose: This research project will reflect the culmination of students’ gained knowledge from the course. Students will write a paper of 2,000-4,000 words (excluding references) in which they apply one or more concepts from the course to test the ability of persuasive messages to change health behavior. The purpose of this assignment is to experience the process of conducting a quantitative evaluation of an intervention designed to change health behavior. Specific objectives focus on your ability to: (1) utilize theory and extant research to create or choose an adequate persuasive message; (2) apply your knowledge of quantitative measurement to your own project; (3) illustrate your understanding of methodology by analyzing and interpreting research findings; and (4) write up your findings in the form of a brief research report.

Overview: This assignment is threefold in nature. Part I involves either creating or choosing a persuasive message designed to change health behavior. Part II involves carrying out an evaluation project in which you develop a measurement instrument and test the ability of the persuasive message to influence health behavior. Part III involves writing a research report in which you outline the empirical findings and their importance. A more detailed explanation of the project is provided below.

PART I (Persuasive Message): Assignment Instructions (STEP-BY-STEP)

Step 1: Choose or Create a Persuasive Message

• After choosing a health-related topic, you will need to construct a persuasive appeal that attempts to change health behavior. You can choose any message format, including print, visual, or audiovisual. Try to find a short message (no more than 1-2 minutes or less than 500 words) that can be easily embedded in a brief online survey. NOTE: The only requirement for a persuasive message is that it will utilize one or more of the persuasive strategies demonstrated in class (e.g., fear appeals, humor, gain-framed message, source credibility, narrative, inoculation, etc.). In most cases, a simple google/YouTube search will reveal numerous relevant messages that can fit your health topic. In the rare case that you cannot find a suitable message, you can create your own message, using one or more of the persuasive strategies demonstrated in class. Though creating your own message is a possibility, in most cases working with existing material leads to better results.

PART II (Quantitative Evaluation): Assignment Instructions (STEP-BY-STEP)

Step 2: Construct Measurement Instrument

• The measurement instrument (a questionnaire) is used to indicate what data needs to be collected.
• You should utilize the template survey that is attached and update it to reflect the focus on the particular health topic.
• Each Measurement instrument should include the following: (1) introduction, (2) socio-demographic questions, (3) persuasive message, (4) health outcomes, and (5) a concluding statement. NOTE: Each measurement instrument should include one health outcome (i.e., self-efficacy, response-efficacy, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, attitudes toward behavior, and behavior).
• IMPORTANT: Make sure the health behavior you’re attempting to influence is assessed in your measurement instrument. Specifically, ARE YOU MEASURING WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE MEASURING?

Step 3: Collect Data

• IMPORTANT: It OFTEN takes longer to collect data than you think it will. Sometimes it takes 1-2 weeks to collect data.
• Data collection should result in an adequate sample size with at least 20 responses.

Step 4: Analyze Data and Interpret Results

• Use the appropriate statistical test in order to assess the effect of the persuasive message.
• Independent samples t-test for designs with a control group
• Paired samples t-test for designs with a pretest

PART III (Research Report): Assignment Instructions (STEP-BY-STEP)

You will write a double spaced 8-page research report (not including references, figures, and tables) that follows APA publication guidelines for developing a manuscript (see ‘Manuscript Structure and Content’ in the APA Publication Manual, 6th ed., pp. 21-59). Your final paper should include the following:

1. Title Page

• Title

1. Summarizes the main idea of your paper; notably, with style!
2. Should be self-explanatory when standing alone
3. Author’s name and institutional affiliation
4. Abstract

• Provides a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper.
• It should be accurate, self-contained, concise and specific, non-evaluative, coherent and readable
• Abstracts generally provide information about the following (OMRC):

1. Objective: It should state the main objective of your research report;
2. Methods: It should generally outline the methods used to accomplish your objective;
3. Results: It should highlight major results of your study (i.e., what was found)
4. Conclusion: It should draw conclusions about the implications of your findings.

• Maximum of 150 words

III. Introduction

• In this section you should introduce the health topic. More specifically, you need to clearly indicate

the goal of your attempt to change health behavior (i.e., what is the health problem or health issue to be researched?).

1. Health Topic and Persuasive Message

• In this section you want to provide a theoretical or practical framework to explain your phenomenon, review the literature (i.e., two or more academic sources), and clearly state the relevance of the persuasive message to the health context. For example, why fear appeals might be an effective messaging strategy to address e-cigarette use? Why humor might be an effective messaging strategy to address testicular cancer? Why gain-framed messages might be an effective strategy to affect healthy eating?
• The presentation of the persuasive message should include information about the main purpose/premise of the persuasive strategy, its main component(s)/element(s), and its applicability to your health topic.
• Be sure to clearly define your concepts.

1. Method

• Here you should describe specifically what was done in your evaluation.
• Describe your participants, procedures, and measures.

1. Participants: How many respondents (e.g., No. of people sampled; if different, No. of people in the final analysis)? How many males and females? What is the age of your sample (e.g., mean, standard deviation)? What is the ethnic/cultural background of your sample? What other important demographic attributes reflect your sample (e.g., health status, socioeconomic status, etc.)?
2. Procedure: What methods or techniques were used to collect the data (e.g., Qualtrics, prescreening, etc.)? What general instructions were provided to participants? If applicable, what was the order of events (e.g., answered socio-demographic questions, asked to watch a brief message about opioid disposal, and then instructed to complete a short questionnaire)?
3. Measurement: What is the relevant predictor that you measured (i.e., self-efficacy, response-efficacy, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, attitudes toward behavior, and behavior)? How were the variables specifically measured? What were the specific questions? What were the specific response options?
4. Results

• In this section you should report your data. Report the results of the statistical test you conducted.

1. How were the data analyzed to test the intervention (i.e., independent samples t-test or paired samples t-test)?
2. What criteria were used to determine if the message was effective (i.e., p < .05)?
3. To the best of your ability, use graphical tools (e.g., charts, tables) to illustrate the results.

VII. Discussion

• Interpretation of Results

1. What can you conclude on the basis of your findings? In other words, was the persuasive message successful in affecting the measured outcomes?

▪ NOTE: The discussion section does not involve a presentation of statistics and numbers; tell us what the findings mean in “everyday language”

1. Do the findings relate or not relate to what you expected to find, given the message strategies you utilized?
2. If they do support the effectiveness of the message in changing health behavior, what overall can be concluded or summarized? Ultimately, you want to answer what I say is the “so what?” question. Specifically, why is this finding meaningful/relevant?
3. If the results did not support the effectiveness of the message in changing health behavior, what are some plausible explanations for your findings? NOTE: The discussion section is more than saying whether or not the persuasive message was effective or not. If done well, it is a synthesized, thematic articulation of results.

VIII. Limitations and Future Evaluations

• What are the limitations of your evaluation?
• What effect(s) do you think the sample, design, and/or measurement had on your results?

Note that different issues are important to discuss in this section depending on the type of health behavior being studies. For example, proper sampling is more important if you are interested in health topics that are only relevant for particular populations (e.g., binge drinking in college, infertility disorders), whereas social desirability bias is more crucial for health topics that might be perceived as culturally/socially sensitive.

▪ Some issues you may want to consider here are: sample (e.g., convenience sample); design (e.g., controlled experiment vs. no control group); measurement (e.g., How might the measure have affected the results?).

▪ Based on your findings, what are a couple of things that should be done next?

▪ Consider how you (or other researchers/practitioners) might improve upon your evaluation (e.g., different sample, different method, etc.) in the future. NOTE: It is best to provide one or two suggestions for future research that are justified and well thought out (i.e., what should be done and why) than a list of things without a rationale.

1. General Conclusion

• What was the purpose of your intervention? What is the importance of your findings, regardless of

the expected or unexpected nature of them? Some points you might consider addressing include:

• The theoretical implications of your findings
• The practical use of your findings

PAPER REQUIREMENTS

Format:

• The paper should be 2,000 – 4,000 words, typed, double-spaced, 1” margins and reasonable font size (12 pt. fonts, Times New Roman)!
• You must include a title (i.e., cover) page that adheres to APA Publication guidelines (your cover page does not count toward your paper length).

• You must include a separate reference page(s) that identifies all sources cited in your paper.
• You should also make sure that your paper is properly checked for spelling and grammatical errors.
• Follow the examples set by other published (quantitative) research studies in communication.

Textual Content:

You also should avoid the following:

• Do not quote extensively…Paraphrase!
• Do not provide definitions of concepts from Wikipedia or Merriam Webster’s Dictionary. Use theoretically or empirically derived definitions.
• Do not use secondary citations (e.g., Burgeon as cited in Martin & Nakayama, 2009); find the

original source!

APA Style:

• Your paper must follow APA style format for citations within the text of your paper, as well as for your reference list (see APA Publication Manual, 6th ed.).

YOU MUST TURN IN WITH YOUR PAPER (as attachments):

1) Copy of your measurement tool (the questionnaire) This is Appendix A.

2) The persuasive message. This is appendix B.