| Description |
Public health messages are often targeted to particular groups; for example, a campaign might include different messages for Black and White audiences. It has been argued that targeting increases message relevance which, in turn, increases persuasive impact. There is support for this idea, but that support is tempered by the lack of a clear conceptualization of relevance. This study evaluates the efficacy of using racially targeted material for White and Black adult women. Adult women (N = 266), aged 18-74 (Mage = 47.12, SD = 1.40), were recruited to participate in a 2 (targeted, not targeted) × 2 (White, Black) × 2 (Topic: Hypertension, Environmental Breast Cancer) between-participants message experiment. Significant target × race interactions were found for appeal manifestness, perceived clarity, cognitive cost, and relevance. For intentions, a simple planned contrast revealed that White participants in the Black condition had significantly lower intentions than Black adults in the Black condition. Serial mediation supported a model in which the target/race contrast affected intentions via perceived relevance, cognitive costs, and attitudes. The study found that race did matter in targeting materials for Black adults, primarily because targeted materials were less effective for the nontargeted group. |
