The Role of Agency and Threat-Immediacy in Interactive Digital Narrative Fear Appeals

Tilburg University178 enrolled

Overview

Aims: The first aim of the study was to assess the effect of agency, i.e. the perception of making meaningful decisions, in an interactive digital narrative fear appeal on self-efficacy beliefs concerning the ability to reduce alcohol intake among college students. Second, we assessed whether the communicated timeframe (short-term / long-term) of the threat presented in the narrative moderates the effect of agency on self-efficacy. Lastly, to validate the effect of the intervention on behavioural outcomes we assesed whether self-efficacy has an effect on behavioural intention measures. The study was a 2 (agency: low / high) x 2 (time-frame: immediate / distant) between-subjects online experiment.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

178

Conditions

Excessive Drinking

Interventions

Participants were asked to make several decisions for the main character in the interactive digital narrative that related to drinking / turning down alcoholic drinks.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from acute alcohol poisoning after ingesting too much alcohol in a short period of time.

High agency and distant threatOTHER

Participants were asked to make several decisions for the main character in the interactive digital narrative that related to drinking / turning down alcoholic drinks.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from multiple organ failure after ingesting too much alcohol over a long period of time.

Low agency and immediate threatOTHER

Participants were asked to read a narrative in which the main character turns down alcoholic drinks at a party. The participants can not influence the decisions of the main character and only consume the narrative passively.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from acute alcohol poisoning after ingesting too much alcohol in a short period of time.

Low agency and distant threatOTHER

Participants were asked to read a narrative in which the main character turns down alcoholic drinks at a party. The participants can not influence the decisions of the main character and only consume the narrative passively.The decisions made lead to a ending consistent with the decisions of the participant. In the story presented, a character dies from multiple organ failure after ingesting too much alcohol over a long period of time.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * above 18 years of age * 480 seconds survey completion time * both attention checks relating to narrative content passed * correctly identified their experimental condition in the manipulation check * did not choose to 'drink an alcoholic drink' for all decisions in the interactive narrative * did not show signs of alcohol abuse Exclusion Criteria: * under the age of 18 * completed the questionnaire in an unreasonably short amount of time * they failed one of the two attention checks * failed the manipulation check asking them to recall whether they were presented with short- or long-term (high / low immediacy) consequences of excessive drinking * chose an alcoholic drink for all decision points * showed signs of alcohol dependence as measured above 15 on the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Perceived self-efficacy

Three items answered on 7-point Likert scales (ranging from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'): 1. I am able to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts. 2. It is easy for me to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts. 3. I can limit my alcohol intake to low amounts.

Time frame: During the lab session

Behavioural intention

Four items answered on 7-point Likert scales (ranging from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree'): 1. I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts. 2. I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts on special occasions. 3. I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts when being with friends. 4. I intend to limit my alcohol intake to low amounts when I am by myself.