| Peer-Reviewed

Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing About the Flu and the Flu Vaccination

Received: 14 September 2018     Accepted: 29 September 2018     Published: 29 October 2018
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Every year at least 10 million people get the flu. However, despite receiving flu vaccination campaign messages every year, the majority of the U.S. population does not annually receive the flu vaccination. People have different levels of risk perception of hazardous events based on their knowledge and experiences. Accordingly, this study examined the different ways in which individuals perceive risks and benefits through exposure to health information campaigns. In doing so, this study employed risk perception theory and the heuristic-systematic model (HSM) as a theoretical foundation in order to explore risk perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination as an antecedent to attitude. This study examined not only how people process different types of risk information regarding the flu, but also how different sources of health information affect perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination. This study applied a 2 (Message framing: heuristic information message vs. systematic information message) by 2 (expert source vs. non-expert source) online experiment. In doing so, this study manipulated heuristic/systematic information messages and expert/non-expert sources. This study found that risk perception of the flu illness was positively related to benefit perception of the flu vaccination. Heuristic messages affected risk perception of the flu vaccination, but not flu illness perception. The level of capacity for interpreting information and individuals’ motivation can affect perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination. Therefore, this study suggested that heuristic messages with expert’s recommendations has the greatest impact on beneficial information processing. Additionally, these findings indicate that health campaigns need to discuss the benefits of the flu and the flu vaccination based on scientific evidence in order to increase awareness of flu illness.

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13
Page(s) 260-267
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM), Risk Perception, Information Processing, Health Communication, Flu, Flu Vaccination

References
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine. Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www. cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts. htm (accessed 27 November 2017)
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2016-17 Influenza Season. Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/coverage-1617estimates.htm#age-group-all (accessed 27 November 2017)
[3] Bish A, Yardley L, Nicoll A and Michie S. (2011). Factors associated with uptake of vaccination against pandemic influenza: A systematic review. Vaccine, 29(38), 6472-6484.
[4] Griffin RJ, Neuwirth K, Dunwoody S and Giese J (2004). Information sufficiency and risk communication. Media Psychology, 6(1), 23-61.
[5] Hidiroglu S, Ay P, Topuzoglu A, Kalafat C and Karavus M (2010). Resistance to vaccination: The attitudes and practices of primary healthcare workers confronting the H1N1 pandemic. Vaccine, 28(51), 8120-8124.
[6] Trumbo CW (2002). Information processing and risk perception: An adaptation of the heuristic-systematic model. Journal of Communication, 52(2), 367-382.
[7] Selwyn N (2004). Reconsidering political and popular understandings of the digital divide. New Media and Society, 6(3), 341-362.
[8] Maldonato M and Dell’Orco S (2011). How to make decisions in an uncertain world: Heuristics, biases, and risk perception. World Futures, 67, 569-677.
[9] Longman T, Turner R M, King M and McCaffery KJ (2012). The effects of communicating uncertainty in quantitative health risk estimates. Patient Education and Counseling, 89, 252-259.
[10] Donovan-Kicken E, Mackert M, Guinn TD, Tollison AC and Breckinridge B (2013). Sources of patient uncertainty when reviewing medical disclosure and consent documentation. Patient Education and Counseling, 90, 254-260.
[11] Renn O, Burns WJ, Kasperson JX, Kasperson RE and Slovic P (1992). The social amplification of risk: Theoretical foundations and empirical applications. Journal of Social Issues, 48(4), 137-160.
[12] Short JF (1984). The social fabric at risk: toward the social transformation of risk analysis. American Sociological Review, 49(6), 711-725.
[13] Slovic P and Peters E (2006). Risk perception and affect. Current Directions in Psychological Science (Wiley-Blackwell), 15(6), 322-325.
[14] Finucane ML, Alhakami A, Slovic P and Johnson SM. (2000). The affect heuristic in judgments of risks and benefits. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 13(1), 1-17.
[15] Eagly AH and Chaiken S (1993). Process theories of attitude formation and change: The elaboration likelihood and heuristic-systematic models. The psychology of attitudes. Orlando: FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. pp.305-349.
[16] Chaiken S (1980). Heuristic versus systematic information processing and the use of source versus message cues in persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(5), 752-766.
[17] Griffin RJ, Dunwoody S and Neuwirth K (1999). Proposed model of the relationship of risk information seeking and processing to the development of preventive behaviors. Environmental Research, 80(2), S230-S245.
[18] Kahlor L (2010). PRISM: A planned risk information seeking model. Health Communication, 25, 345-356.
[19] Slovic P, Finucane ML, Peters E and MacGregor DG (2004). Risk as analysis and risk as feelings: Some thoughts about affect, reason, risk, and rationality. Risk Analysis, 24(2), 311-322.
[20] Zingg A and Siegrist M (2012). Measuring people's knowledge about vaccination: Developing a one-dimensional scale. Vaccine, 30(25), 3771-3777.
[21] Koh YJ and Sundar SS (2010). Heuristic versus systematic processing o specialist versus generalist sources in online media. Human Communication Research, 36, 103-124.
[22] Prati G, Pietrantoni L and Zani B (2012). Influenza vaccination: The persuasiveness of messages among people aged 65 ages and older. Health Communication, 27(5), 413-420.
[23] Siegrist M, Cvetkovich G and Roth C (2000). Salient value similarity, social trust, and risk/benefit perception. Risk Analysis, 20(3), 353-362.
[24] Zimmerman RK, Santibanez TA, Janosky JE, Fine MJ, Raymund M, Wilson SA, … Nowalk MP (2003). What affects influenza vaccination rates among older patients? An analysis from inner-city, suburban, rural, and veterans affairs practices. American Journal of Medicine, 114(1), 31.
[25] Thompson MG, Gaglani MJ, Naleway A, Ball S, Henkle EM, Sokolow L, Brennan B, … Shay DK (2012). The expected emotional benefits of influenza vaccination strongly affect pre-season intentions and subsequent vaccination among healthcare personnel. Vaccine, 30, 3557-3565.
[26] McDaniels T L, Axelrod LJ, Cavanagh N S and Slovic P (1997). Perception of ecological risk to water environments. Risk Analysis, 17, 341-352.
[27] Slovic P, Kraus N, Lappe H and Major M (1991). Risk perception of prescription drugs: Report on a survey in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 82(3), S15-S20.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    SangHee Park. (2018). Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing About the Flu and the Flu Vaccination. Social Sciences, 7(6), 260-267. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    SangHee Park. Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing About the Flu and the Flu Vaccination. Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(6), 260-267. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    SangHee Park. Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing About the Flu and the Flu Vaccination. Soc Sci. 2018;7(6):260-267. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13,
      author = {SangHee Park},
      title = {Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing About the Flu and the Flu Vaccination},
      journal = {Social Sciences},
      volume = {7},
      number = {6},
      pages = {260-267},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20180706.13},
      abstract = {Every year at least 10 million people get the flu. However, despite receiving flu vaccination campaign messages every year, the majority of the U.S. population does not annually receive the flu vaccination. People have different levels of risk perception of hazardous events based on their knowledge and experiences. Accordingly, this study examined the different ways in which individuals perceive risks and benefits through exposure to health information campaigns. In doing so, this study employed risk perception theory and the heuristic-systematic model (HSM) as a theoretical foundation in order to explore risk perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination as an antecedent to attitude. This study examined not only how people process different types of risk information regarding the flu, but also how different sources of health information affect perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination. This study applied a 2 (Message framing: heuristic information message vs. systematic information message) by 2 (expert source vs. non-expert source) online experiment. In doing so, this study manipulated heuristic/systematic information messages and expert/non-expert sources. This study found that risk perception of the flu illness was positively related to benefit perception of the flu vaccination. Heuristic messages affected risk perception of the flu vaccination, but not flu illness perception. The level of capacity for interpreting information and individuals’ motivation can affect perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination. Therefore, this study suggested that heuristic messages with expert’s recommendations has the greatest impact on beneficial information processing. Additionally, these findings indicate that health campaigns need to discuss the benefits of the flu and the flu vaccination based on scientific evidence in order to increase awareness of flu illness.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effects of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing About the Flu and the Flu Vaccination
    AU  - SangHee Park
    Y1  - 2018/10/29
    PY  - 2018
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13
    T2  - Social Sciences
    JF  - Social Sciences
    JO  - Social Sciences
    SP  - 260
    EP  - 267
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2326-988X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20180706.13
    AB  - Every year at least 10 million people get the flu. However, despite receiving flu vaccination campaign messages every year, the majority of the U.S. population does not annually receive the flu vaccination. People have different levels of risk perception of hazardous events based on their knowledge and experiences. Accordingly, this study examined the different ways in which individuals perceive risks and benefits through exposure to health information campaigns. In doing so, this study employed risk perception theory and the heuristic-systematic model (HSM) as a theoretical foundation in order to explore risk perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination as an antecedent to attitude. This study examined not only how people process different types of risk information regarding the flu, but also how different sources of health information affect perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination. This study applied a 2 (Message framing: heuristic information message vs. systematic information message) by 2 (expert source vs. non-expert source) online experiment. In doing so, this study manipulated heuristic/systematic information messages and expert/non-expert sources. This study found that risk perception of the flu illness was positively related to benefit perception of the flu vaccination. Heuristic messages affected risk perception of the flu vaccination, but not flu illness perception. The level of capacity for interpreting information and individuals’ motivation can affect perceptions of the flu and the flu vaccination. Therefore, this study suggested that heuristic messages with expert’s recommendations has the greatest impact on beneficial information processing. Additionally, these findings indicate that health campaigns need to discuss the benefits of the flu and the flu vaccination based on scientific evidence in order to increase awareness of flu illness.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, USA

  • Sections