Jounghwa Choi

Elaboration of the Hostile Media Phenomenon

Hostile media perception (HMP) is a phenomenon showing the significance of individual factors in evaluation of media content. Extending theoretical understanding of HMP, this study has two purposes: (a) to examine the roles of different types of involvement in hostile media effect (HME), that is, value-relevant and outcome-relevant involvement, and (b) to explore relationships between HMP and other media-related perceptions, such as congruency of perceived media influence, media skepticism, and perceived opinion climate. Data were collected from college students in South Korea. Results suggest that value-relevant involvement, rather than outcome-relevant involvement, is a critical predictor of HMP in the context of news coverage of the National Security Law in Korea. HMP also was a significant predictor of congruency of presumed media influence, which in turn predicted perceived opinion climate.

Smoking Cessation Apps for Smartphones: Content Analysis With the Self-Determination Theory

Background Smartphones are increasingly receiving attention from public health scholars and practitioners as a means to assist individuals’ health management. A number of smartphone apps for smoking cessation are also available; however, little effort has been made to evaluate the content and functions of these apps employing a theoretical framework. Objective The present study aims to analyze and evaluate the contents of smoking cessation apps available in South Korea employing the self-determination theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework for analysis. This study analyzes the extent to which smoking cessation apps have features that satisfy the basic needs identified in the SDT, which stimulate autonomous motivation. The type of motivational goal content manifested in the apps and how the goal content was framed are also explored. By assessing the features of smoking cessation apps based on the SDT, this study aims to offer direction for improvement for these apps. Methods Out of 309 apps identified from the iTunes store and Google Play (excluding 27 duplications), 175 apps were randomly drawn and analyzed. The coding scheme was drafted by the authors based on the SDT and gain/loss framing theory and was further finely tuned through the process of coder training and by establishing intercoder reliability. Once the intercoder reliability was established, the coders divided up the rest of the sample and coded them independently. Results The analysis revealed that most apps (94.3%, 165/175) had at least one feature that tapped at least 1 of the 3 basic needs. Only 18 of 175 apps (10.3%) addressed all 3 basic needs. For goal content, money (53.7%, 94/175) showed the highest frequency, followed by health (32.0%, 56/175), time (7.4%, 13/175), and appearance (1.1%, 2/175), suggesting that extrinsic goals are more dominantly presented in smoking cessation apps. For the framing of goal content, gain framing appeared more frequently (41.7%, 73/175). Conclusions The results suggest that these smoking cessation apps may not sufficiently stimulate autonomous motivation; a small number of apps addressed all 3 basic needs suggested by the SDT (ie, autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The apps also tended to present extrinsic goal content (primarily in terms of money) over intrinsic ones (ie, health) by primarily adopting gain framing. Implications of these findings for public health practitioners and consumers are discussed.

Behavioral dimensions of public relations leadership in organizations

Purpose – The evolution of public relations into a management function has brought the importance of leadership to the forefront of professional discussion. This study aims to identify and develop a measure of behavioral dimensions critical to effective public relations for organization‐wide public relations leadership.Design/methodology/approach – Using a national survey of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) members (n=159), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the seven theoretically‐driven leadership behaviors: upward influence, coordinating, internal monitoring, networking, representing, providing vision, and acting as a change agent.Findings – The results suggest that the measurement model had a good internal and global fit. CFA results supported the seven‐factor model over the one‐factor model, suggesting that public relations leadership is multi‐dimensional. Among the behaviors, “providing vision” and “acting as a change agent” were those most strongly associated with the v...

Social media use, body image, and psychological well-being: a cross-cultural comparison of Korea and the United States.

This study examined the relationships among social media use for information, self-status seeking and socializing, body image, self-esteem, and psychological well-being, and some cultural effects moderating these relationships. Americans (n = 502) and Koreans (n = 518) completed an online survey. The main findings showed that (a) social media use for information about body image is negatively related to body satisfaction in the United States and Korea, while social media use for self-status seeking regarding body image is positively related to body satisfaction only in Korea; and (b) body satisfaction has direct and indirect positive effects on psychological well-being manifested in similar ways in the United States and Korea. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Perceived Realism of Television Medical Dramas and Perceptions About Physicians

This study investigated whether and how dimensions of perceived realism of television medical dramas are linked to perceptions of physicians. The three dimensions of perceived realism were considered: plausibility, typicality, and narrative consistency. Data from a survey of college students were examined with confirmatory factor analyses and hierarchical regression analyses. Across the three dramas (ER, Grey’s Anatomy, and House), narrative consistency predicted positive perceptions about physicians. Perceived plausibility and typicality of the medical dramas showed no significant association with perceptions about physicians. These results illustrate the importance of distinguishing different dimensions of perceived realism and the importance of narrative consistency in influencing social beliefs.

Television, Gender Norms, and Tanning Attitudes and Intentions of Young Men and Women

This study investigated whether and how exposure to tanned images on television is related to tanning attitudes and intentions among men and women, using the influence of presumed influence model (Gunther & Storey, 2003). The model showed a better fit with the male rather than female sample. In addition, among males, exposure to tanned-men images on television was directly associated with protanning attitudes and was indirectly associated with protanning intentions. Corresponding direct and indirect associations were not found among females. Instead, the results suggest females may project their own protanning intentions into the estimation of protanning norms among male and female peers. These results suggest the social perceptual processes underlying the link between television exposure and tanning tendencies of men and women may differ.

Predictors and the Role of Attitude Toward the Message and Perceived Message Quality in Gain- and Loss-Frame Antidrug Persuasion of Adolescents

This study examines predictors and the role of attitude toward the message and perceived message quality in the gain- and loss-framed antidrug persuasion of adolescents. Identification predicted the perceived effectiveness of gain- but not loss-frame ads, whereas perceived realism contributed to the perceived effectiveness of both frame ads. Positive affect predicted the attitude toward the gain-frame ads, whereas negative affect predicted the perceived quality of the loss-frame ads. Attitude toward the message was a stronger predictor of the effectiveness of gain-frame ads, while perceived message quality but not attitude toward the message was correlated with the effectiveness of loss-frame ads. Discussion focuses on implications for formative evaluation of health communication campaign messages.

The Effect of the Telemedicine Service System Application for the Patients with Hypertension at Community Health Practitioner Posts in Gangwon Province

Objectives: This study is to identify the effects of utilizing a telemedicine service system on patients with hypertension at home in rural areas. Methods: The study was designed to be a retrospective case-control study. The subjects of this study were 152 patients with hypertension who were managed by community health practitioner posts; using telemedicine service system group (n=76), usual care group (n=76). The data was collected through EMR (electric medical record) from September to December, 2013, and analyzed by descriptive statistics of x 2 /t-test and ANCOVA. Results: The analysis showed that telemedicine service system was an effective way to deal with body weight (F=4.723, p=.031) and BMI (F=5.225, p=.024). Conclusions: This study provides evidence for utilizing the telemedicine service system based on information technology as intervention method in the hypertension management.

Factors Influencing Health-Related Internet Activities and Their Outcomes

This study explores why people participate in health-related Internet activities and what the potential impacts of such activities are. Specifically, this study examines how trust in health information (i.e., from a physician and from the Internet) determines individuals’ health-related Internet activities and whether this use subsequently improves outcomes such as discussion with doctors about online health information and satisfaction with health care. Findings from a Web-based survey in South Korea indicated that trust in health information from doctors decreased communication activities, whereas trust in online health information increased both communication and information activities. Both communication and information activities increased discussions with doctors about online health information, which subsequently led to satisfaction with health care.

Exploring Factors Influencing Smokers’ Information Seeking for Smoking Cessation

This study addressed the factors influencing smokers’ information seeking pertaining to the health risks of smoking. In particular, this study aimed to extend the risk information seeking and processing model by taking into account the role of autonomous motivations used to stimulate smokers’ information-seeking behavior. The results of a Web-based survey indicated that information insufficiency was positively associated with health information–seeking behavior and that negative affective responses were positively associated with information insufficiency and health information–seeking behavior. In addition, autonomous motivations were positively associated with information insufficiency and information-seeking behavior. The results indicated that risk perception was positively related to autonomous motivations and negative affective response. Finally, informational subjective norm was positively related to autonomous motivations and negative affective responses. The implications of this study for future research are discussed.