Hung-Yi Lu

Effects of a Televised Two-City Safer Sex Mass Media Campaign Targeting High-Sensation-Seeking and Impulsive-Decision-Making Young Adults

This study evaluates the ability of a safer sex televised public service announcement (PSA) campaign to increase safer sexual behavior among at-risk young adults. Independent, monthly random samples of 100 individuals were surveyed in each city for 21 months as part of an interrupted-time-series design with a control community. The 3-month high-audience-saturation campaign took place in Lexington, KY, with Knoxville, TN, as a comparison city. Messages were especially designed and selected for the target audience (those above the median on a composite sensation-seeking/impulsive-decision-making scale). Data indicate high campaign exposure among the target audience, with 85%-96% reporting viewing one or more PSAs. Analyses indicate significant 5-month increases in condom use, condom-use self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions among the target group in the campaign city with no changes in the comparison city. The results suggest that a carefully targeted, intensive mass media campaign using televised PSAs can change safer sexual behaviors.

Reconsidering the Relationship Between the Third-Person Perception and Optimistic Bias:

Studies disagree as to whether an optimistic bias can account for the commonly observed third-person perceptions. This study aims to help clarify the relationship between third-person perceptions and biased optimism in the context of assessing the impact of the news about bird flu outbreaks in Taiwan. Using a random sample of 1,107 college students, third-person perception and optimistic bias were found to be robust but unrelated. Although both optimistic bias and third-person effect are psychological perceptual judgments that can be attributed to self-serving motivation, the third-person perception is a biased interpretation of media influence, while biased optimistic perceptions are a social psychological mechanism of bolstering self-esteem in self-other comparisons regarding a risk.

Sensation-seeking, Internet dependency, and online interpersonal deception.

This study aimed to elaborate the relationships between sensation-seeking, Internet dependency, and online interpersonal deception. Of the 707 individuals recruited to this study, 675 successfully completed the survey. The results showed high sensation-seekers and high Internet dependents were more likely to engage in online interpersonal deception than were their counterparts.

Third-Person Effects of Health News Exploring the Relationships Among Media Exposure, Presumed Media Influence, and Behavioral Intentions

This study expands third-person effect research to health news coverage. It examines the perceptual and behavioral components of third-person effects. Moderator variables of third-person effects—knowledge and exposure to health news—are also examined. Using data from a survey of public opinion about the coverage of avian flu involving a probability sample of 1,107 college students in Taiwan, findings show that respondents tend to think the influence of avian flu news on others is greater than on themselves. Furthermore, exposure to avian flu news was found to narrow the self—other perceptual gap. Regarding the linkages between the third-person perception of avian news and behavioral responses to the perception, findings show that perceived effects of avian flu news on the self resulted in taking action—seeking information about avian flu and seeking out Tamiflu. However, findings further show that the third-person perception acted like a brake on taking such action.

The Third-person Effect of Tainted Food Product Recall News: Examining the Role of Credibility, Attention, and Elaboration for College Students in Taiwan

This study examines third-person effect of news of tainted food product recalls on oneself relative to others. The survey (N = 1,213) found that respondents tended to think the influence of the news on others was greater than on themselves (the study used reactions to a milk powder scandal in China). Message credibility and attention to and elaboration of the recall news were found to reduce the third-person perceptual gap. Furthermore, the perceived effect of news on oneself, not on others, was positively associated with the behavioral intention of information-seeking and taking protective action.

Examining the Perceptual Gap and Behavioral Intention in the Perceived Effects of Polling News in the 2008 Taiwan Presidential Election

This study examines the impact of polling news in the 2008 Taiwan presidential election from a third-person effect perspective. Results of a survey using a random sample of 1,097 respondents indicate that they perceived news about election polls to have a greater effect on others than themselves, regardless of whether the effects were perceived as negative or positive. Furthermore, findings show that attention to election polling news enhanced the perceived positive effects on self and others. Findings also point to a link between poll credibility and perceived effects on self and others. The less credible elections polls are perceived, the larger is the self—other perceptual gap. Finally, concern about the negative effects of election polling news on others is found to motivate respondents to consider protective behavior. However, findings show that perceived positive effects of such news on self resulted in intention to engage in campaign discourse. Theoretical implications of the findings to advance the third-person effect research are discussed.

Assessing the Relationship Between Perceived Message Sensation Value and Perceived Message Effectiveness: Analysis of PSAs From an Effective Campaign

The current study is an analysis of public service announcements (PSAs) from an effective safer sex campaign that utilized a sensation-seeking targeting (SENTAR) approach. Two random samples of heterosexually active young adults (sample one N = 1,463, sample two N = 895) viewed different sets of safer sex PSAs on a laptop computer and answered questions about their perceived sensation value and perceived effectiveness. Multiple regression analyses examined the impact of (a) demographic, (b) individual difference, (c) sexual context, and (d) message variables including perceived message sensation value (PMSV) on the perceived message effectiveness (PME) of the PSAs. Results indicated that females, African Americans, condom users, and those with less education viewed the PSAs as slightly more effective than males, Caucasians, non-condom users, and those with more education. PMSV and personal utility emerged as the strongest predictors of PME, even after controlling for all of the aforementioned variables. Implications for further research on PMSV and perceived and actual effectiveness of PSAs are offered.

Testing a model of the predictors and consequences of body dissatisfaction.

A cross-sectional study, testing a model of predictors and consequences of body dissatisfaction, was undertaken in Taiwan from December 30, 2006 to January 10, 2007. Two hundred and thirty-two female college students enrolled at a major university completed the self-administered questionnaire. Analytical results revealed that body dissatisfaction among respondents increased with BMI (beta=.32, p<.001), perceptions of how others viewed their bodies (beta=.38, p<.001), and upward social comparisons (beta=.17, p<.01). Body dissatisfaction also markedly influenced respondent weight-loss intentions (beta=.51, p<.001). Results imply that medical, psychological and social factors must be considered by school health educators wishing to understand the causes and consequences of body dissatisfaction among female college students.

Factors influencing intentions to take precautions to avoid consuming food containing dairy products: Expanding the theory of planned behaviour

Purpose – The melamine milk scandal caused a crisis of confidence in food containing dairy products. The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of precautionary behaviour to avoid food containing dairy products among Taiwanese college students.Design/methodology/approach – Of the total respondents selected using a multistage cluster sampling plan, 1,213 respondents completed the questionnaire.Findings – The survey results showed that subjective norms, attitude, perceived behavioural control, attention to news, and perceived credibility of information are significantly associated with the intention to take precautionary behaviour.Originality/value – The paper developed a modified theory of planned behaviour (TPB) that focused on attention and perceived credibility of milk scandal‐related information as additional determinants of precautionary behaviour to avoid food containing dairy products. The inclusion of attention and perceived credibility of information constructs enabled a better model...

The Link of Sexual Sensation Seeking to Acceptance of Cybersex, Multiple Sexual Partners, and One-Night Stands Among Taiwanese College Students

Background: Young people in Taiwan have become more liberal and active toward sex. Despite heavy investments of money, time, and effort, sexual education programs have generally lagged expectations. Purpose: Personality traits such as sexual sensation seeking are found to be significantly associated with risky sexual behaviors. This study, therefore, attempts to explore the link of sexual sensation seeking to acceptance by Taiwanese college students of cybersex, multiple sexual partners, and one-night stands. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the multistage cluster sampling method. Five hundred sixteen students recruited from eight universities/colleges in Taiwan participated in this study, and 507 completed the self-report questionnaire. The valid response rate was 98.26%. Results: The results reveal that high-sexual-sensation seekers were more likely than low-sexual-sensation seekers to accept cybersex, multiple sexual partners, and one-night stands. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: This study suggests that the designers of campus-based health prevention campaigns should target campaign messages on high-sexual-sensation seekers using novel, thrilling, and complex messages to achieve safe sex educational campaign goals.