Lecture 4 - Applied Psychology - Behaviour Change

Question 1

What did the research on e-cigarettes and vaping done at The Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change tell us about the use of these devices and substances?

Answer 1

1. Most of e-cigarette users preferred nicotine-containing vapes, even the never-smokers.
2. The flavours and disposable devices faciliated the use of vapes, especially for adolescents and young adults.
3. Most vape users reported sourcing their nicotine liquid for their devises from tobacconists despite it being illegal to sell this liquid outside a pharamcy.
4. Accessibility needs to be reduced and more measures need to be put in place to prevent access.

Question 2

What is an example of how to debunk misinformation that Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change recommends?

Answer 2

Follow this structure to debunk misinformation:

Fact.

Warn about myth then state myth.

Explain why this is misinformation and provide information about why the fact is real information.

Repeat fact, multiple times if possible.

Question 3

Is information enough for people to change their behaviour?

Answer 3

No. Not always.
Example is using phone when driving.

Question 4

What are some of the challenges faced when promoting behaviour change?

Answer 4

Wanting to cause long-term behaviour change. This is difficult to measure. As time progresses it becomes more difficult to know whether change is due campaign or messaging, for example.

People are hard to change.

People are resistant to “you should” claims. It is patronizing. Our working memory is also limited and we are bombarded by “shoulds”.

Question 5

What are some ways to promote behaviour change through advertising?

Answer 5

Fear appeal.

Education.

Humour.

Partnerships/influencers.

Communication channels that aren’t tv, such as podcasts.

Question 6

What is one of the main challenges faced by advertisers today?

Answer 6

Most of the research and knowledge we have is around what works for advertising on TV. However, far less people watch free to air TV. Most people, especially young people, use social media, streaming services, and podcasts to consume content. Understanding how to develop appealing and captivating ads on these platforms will be key for successful advertising in this day in age.

Question 7

Are fear appeals successful?

Answer 7

Yes. Research suggests that fear appeals are succesful behaviour change advertisments.

Question 8

Based on the research, what does a successful Fear Appeal campaign require?

Answer 8

1. Fear (negative response, high arousal)
   Is a fear aroused?
2. Perceived threat (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity)
   Does the person feel that they are vulnerable to this threat and that this threat is really bad?
3. Perceived efficacy (perceived self efficacy, perceived response efficacy.
   Does the person feel that they have the capacity to change and that this change will lead to reduction in the threat?

Question 9

What is one of things you do not want to do when you are using a fear campaign?

Answer 9

You want to be providing people with a solution or actions to take to minimiize