Abstract

The current study examines the influence of one’s personality on their perception of anti-drug campaigns in the United States. The study involved 194 participants residing in the United States, collected through Amazon Mechanical Turk. The intention was to determine if one’s motivational orientation, either approach or avoidance, would moderate the effect of health messaging. Participants completed a measure of motivational orientation, were exposed to five gain- or loss- framed anti-drug campaign messages, and were given a measure of attitude towards drug use. The results showed a significant interaction between message frame and motivational orientation when loss-framed message were displayed. This implies when predominantly avoidance oriented individuals were exposed to the loss-framed message; their attitude towards drugs was significantly more negative than if they were exposed to a gain-famed message. It also implies that when predominantly approach oriented individuals were exposed to a loss-framed message; their attitude towards drug use was significantly higher than if they were exposed to a gain-framed message. Motivational orientation acted as a moderator when participants viewed a loss-famed message.

Advisor

Karazsia, Bryan

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Personality and Social Contexts

Keywords

personality, behavioral activation system, behavioral inhibition system, anti-drug campaign, moderators, gain-framed messaging, loss-framed messaging, approach, avoidance

Publication Date

2015

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2015 Colleen P. Compliment