Publications by authors named "Claude Miller"

This study investigated the effectiveness of Native American (NA) targeted obesity prevention messages. The researchers manipulated obesity attributions (internal vs. external) and message sources (NAs vs.

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Psychological reactance theory (PRT) posits that when individuals' perceived freedoms are threatened or restricted, they become aversively aroused and are motivated to reestablish those freedoms, leading to a state of psychological reactance. Applying PRT, this study examined the effects of controlling language, fear, and disgust appeals on responses to COVID-19 vaccination promotion messages. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions across controlling language (high/low), fear appeals (high/low), and disgust appeals (high/low), wherein they viewed two messages, with responses measured after each message.

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This study examined the effects of agency assignment on response to messages advocating threat preparedness, highlighting interactions between agency assignment and threat type. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions crossing human agency vs. threat agency with human ascribed threats vs.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic poses severe threats to human life around the globe, effective risk messages are needed to warn the public and encourage recommended actions for avoiding infection, especially as steps are taken to ease physical restrictions and restart economies. The present study examines the effects of agency assignment and reference point on perceptions of SARS-CoV-2 threat and assesses key message responses, including psychological reactance, source derogation, counterarguing, and behavioral intentions. Participants ( = 207) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions crossing agency assignment (SARS-CoV-2/human) and reference point (self/self-other).

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), the COVID-19 disease cases stemming from it, and the resulting pandemic have imposed severe, distressing, physical, and psychological challenges on communities worldwide. The stressful situation faced by Chinese overseas students (COSs) has been particularly acute. With this population as the focus, the current study evaluated the psychological state of COSs abroad during the initial phases of the pandemic.

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Many new HIV infections occur through individuals who are unaware of their HIV status. HIV disparities are more prevalent among underserved populations, and the number of new cases in the U.S.

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This experiment explores the effects of agency assignment and self-construal on responses to tornado preparedness messages. Participants (N = 276) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions crossing agency assignment and self-construal. Results found threat agency associated with greater perceived susceptibility and tornado threat, whereas self-construal was primarily associated with perceived threat severity, such that those primed with interdependent self-construal showed marginally increased perceptions of tornado severity relative to those primed with independent self-construal.

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In recent years, the United States has recognized an increasing need for individual-level disaster preparedness, with federal, state, and local government agencies finding only limited success in instituting campaign-based disaster preparedness programs. Extant research indicates Americans generally remain poorly informed and badly unprepared for imminent disasters. Vested interest theory (Crano, 1997) is presented as a framework for designing and testing the effectiveness of television-based disaster preparedness campaign messages.

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Objective: To study the effect of various types of inoculation message treatments on resistance to persuasive and potentially deceptive health- and nutrition-related (HNR) content claims of commercial food advertisers.

Methods: A three-phase experiment was conducted among 145 students from a Midwestern U.S.

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Three studies were designed to extend a combination of vested interest theory (VI) and the extended parallel process model of fear appeals (EPPM) to provide formative research for creating more effective disaster preparedness social action campaigns. The aim was to develop an effective VI scale for assessing individual awareness and 'vestedness' relevant to disaster preparedness. Typical preparedness behaviours are discussed with emphasis on earthquakes and tornados in particular.

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Two personality traits, sensation seeking (SS) and psychological reactance (PR), were examined as predictors of health risk behaviors within an emerging adult population. Results using items from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) survey developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate both personality traits are predictive of risky substance use behaviors, but only PR was found to be predictive of risky sexual activity. Furthermore, a significant interaction involving PR and sex emerged concerning alcohol use.

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An in-school youth survey for a major state anti-tobacco media campaign was conducted with 1,831 students (Grades 6-12) from 70 randomly selected classrooms throughout the state. Tobacco users accounted for nearly 25% of the sample. Pretest questionnaires assessed demographic variables, tobacco use, and various other risk factors.

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According to terror management theory, heightened concerns about mortality should intensify the appeal of charismatic leaders. To assess this idea, we investigated how thoughts about death and the 9/11 terrorist attacks influence Americans' attitudes toward current U.S.

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Children between the ages of 9 and 15 are a high-risk group for tobacco use. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that first use of cigarettes among adolescents has risen 30% over the past decade, and that more than 1.2 million people age < 18 became daily smokers in 1996 alone.

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