The role of aging and emotion in processing health-related framed messages

Liu, Xiaomei

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/110625 Copy

Description

Title

The role of aging and emotion in processing health-related framed messages

Author(s)

Liu, Xiaomei

Issue Date

2021-01-15

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A. L.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A. L.

Committee Member(s)

• Morrow, Daniel G.
• Christianson, Kiel
• Mikels, Joseph A.
• Dolcos, Florin

Department of Study

Educational Psychology

Discipline

Educational Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Aging
• Health Message Framing
• Affective Processing
• Psycholinguistic Processing
• Perceived Effectiveness
• Reading Comprehension

Abstract

How health messages are framed can impact their effectiveness in promoting health behaviors. Studies have shown that messages framed in terms of gains relative to losses are especially more effective among older adults compared to younger adults. Recent evidence has suggested that different affective responses with framing may contribute to these effects. However, the underlying mechanisms of how an effect is evoked, and how affective responses can interact with the cognitive processing of framed messages, especially as a function of aging, are not well-understood. Experiment 1 was conducted to investigate the affective reactions evoked by framed messages, specifically those related to exercise, and their relationship to perceived effectiveness as a function of age. Based upon the appraisal theory of emotion, Experiment 2 examined the effects of evaluations of framed messages on affective valence. Experiment 3 investigated age differences in cognitive-linguistic processing and the relationship to affective processing during online comprehension of framed messages. Lastly, Experiment 4 was conducted to examine the age differences in spontaneous affective responses to health-related framed messages using a narrative inconsistency paradigm. Across experiments, results showed older adults had a less negative effect on loss-framed messages and used affective cues differently from younger adults to judge the effectiveness of framed messages. Although older adults had slightly more difficulty in processing linguistically complex messages, younger and older adults showed similarities in how emotional appraisal and psycholinguistic processing contributed to affective responses, and how to affect was spontaneously evoked from framed messages. The findings have both theoretical and practical implications for stressing the role of effect in promoting health behaviors among younger and older adults.

Graduation Semester

2021-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/110625

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2021 Xiaomei Liu

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