what types of messages teens responded to best.
In addition, a dynamic model of attitude change and teens’ decision making preferences were used to predict message processing and behavior. In Y3 (in process), teens viewed messages found effective in Y2. Three months later, we examine the effect of message exposure on smoking behavior, attitudes and message recall. Research Design: Anti-smoking messages are often “do not do” messages which young teens are often reactant towards. Reactance was assessed by examining perceptions that messages were biased (e.g., overblown, untruthful) and by examining respondent’s cognitive responses to the messages. Field experiments were conducted with low-income teens using a 2 (African American vs. White) by 2 (Gender) x 2 (Location: rural vs. urban) design with roughly equivalent number of participants per cell. Over last 3 years, this project team has conducted more than 9 studies examining teens and anti-smoking messages: • Study 1: Teens’ Perceptions of Smoking.
