Lauren Frank | Portland State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Lauren Frank

Research paper thumbnail of Who Cares What Others Think? The Role of Latinas' Acculturation in the Processing of HPV Vaccination Narrative Messages

This study investigated the role played by level of acculturation in the effect of narrative pers... more This study investigated the role played by level of acculturation in the effect of narrative persuasion on health-related outcomes. A random sample of 186 Mexican American females watched either a narrative designed to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake or an equivalent nonnarrative film. While message format failed to exert a direct effect on vaccination norms and behavioral intent, participants' level of acculturation played an important role in the processing of the message. Specifically, when treating acculturation as a moderator, consistent effects emerged for less acculturated Latinas on various research outcomes, including descriptive and injunctive norms regarding HPV vaccine uptake. These findings extend the discussion on health communication through storytelling by calling attention to the importance of cultural factors in the framework of narrative persuasion.

Research paper thumbnail of Involved, Transported, or Emotional? Exploring the Determinants of Change in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior in Entertainment‐Education

Journal of …, Jan 1, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Information scanning and vaccine safety concerns among African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White women

Objective A significant number of parents delay or refuse vaccinating their children. Incidental ... more Objective
A significant number of parents delay or refuse vaccinating their children. Incidental exposure to vaccine information (i.e., scanned information) may be an important contributor to anti-vaccine sentiment. This study examines the association between scanned information, trust in health information sources and vaccine safety concerns among African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White women.

Methods
Women (N=761) in Los Angeles County were sampled via random digit dial and surveyed regarding use of and trust in health information resources and vaccine safety concerns.

Results
Analyses indicate that the sources of information associated with vaccine safety concerns varied by ethnicity. Each ethnic group exhibited different patterns of association between trust in health information resources and vaccine safety concerns.

Conclusions
Information scanning is associated with beliefs about vaccine safety, which may lead parents to refuse or delay vaccinating their children. These relationships vary by ethnicity.

Practice Implications
These findings help inform practitioners and policy makers about communication factors that influence vaccine safety concerns. Knowing these sources of information will equip practitioners to better identify women who may have been exposed to anti-vaccine messages and counter these beliefs with effective, vaccine-promoting messages via the most relevant information sources.

Research paper thumbnail of Telling stories, saving lives: Creating narrative health messages

Increasingly, health communication practitioners are exploring the use of narrative storytelling ... more Increasingly, health communication practitioners are exploring the use of narrative storytelling to convey health information. For this study, a narrative film was produced to provide information about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer prevention. The storyline centered on Lupita, a young woman recently diagnosed with HPV who informs her family about HPV and the availability of the HPV vaccine for her younger sister. The objective was to examine the roles of identification with characters and narrative involvement (made up of three dimensions: involvement, perceived relevance, and immersion) on perceived response efficacy, perceived severity, and perceived susceptibility to HPV and behavior (discussing the HPV vaccine with a health care provider). A random sample of 450 European American, Mexican American, and African American women between the ages of 25 and 45 years, living in the Los Angeles area, was surveyed by phone before, 2 weeks after, and 6 months after viewing the film. The more relevant women found the narrative to their own lives at 2 weeks, the higher they perceived the severity of the virus and the perceived response efficacy of the vaccine to be. Also at 2 weeks, identifying with characters was positively associated with perceived susceptibility to HPV but negatively associated with perceived severity. At 6 months, identification with specific characters was significantly associated with perceived threat and behavior. These findings suggest that different aspects of narrative health messages should be manipulated depending on the specific beliefs and behaviors being targeted. Implications for narrative message design are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Narrative versus Nonnarrative: The Role of Identification, Transportation, and Emotion in Reducing Health Disparities

This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces greater impact on he... more This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces greater impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention than presenting the identical information in a more traditional, nonfiction, nonnarrative format. European American, Mexican American, and African American women (N = 758) were surveyed before and after viewing either a narrative or nonnarrative cervical cancer-related film. The narrative was more effective in increasing cervical cancer-related knowledge and attitudes. Moreover, in response to the narrative featuring Latinas, Mexican Americans were most transported, identified most with the characters, and experienced the strongest emotions. Regressions revealed that transportation, identification with specific characters, and emotion contributed to shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Thus, narrative formats may provide a valuable tool in reducing health disparities.

Research paper thumbnail of The ability of narrative communication to address health-related social norms

International Review of Social Research, 2013

Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of... more Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of health communication campaigns. However, these campaigns often encounter challenges related to the socially specific context in which norms exist: specifically, the extent to which the target population identifies with the specific reference group depicted and the extent to which the target population believes the campaign’s message. We argue that because of its capacity to effect identification among viewers, narrative communication is particularly appropriate for impacting social norms and, consequently, behavioral intention. This manuscript presents the results of a randomized trial testing the effectiveness of two films – one narrative, one non-narrative – in changing perceived social norms and behavioral intention regarding Pap testing to detect cervical cancer. Results of the study indicate that the narrative film was in fact more effective at producing positive changes in perceived norms and intention.

Research paper thumbnail of Combating violence against women through C4D: The Use Your Voice campaign and its implications on audience-citizens in Papua New Guinea

International Journal of Communication, Sep 2013

Violence against women (VAW) is universally identified as a barrier to legal, social, political, ... more Violence against women (VAW) is universally identified as a barrier to legal, social, political, and economic equality for women, violating their rights and fundamental freedoms. This article brings together existing literature and empirical research on addressing such violence in Papua New Guinea (PNG), providing results that can inform future work in this area. The literature review examines the causes of violence against women and the role that communication for development (C4D) can play in addressing these issues. The Use Your Voice campaign was implemented in PNG in late 2011 in an effort to promote speaking out against violence and displace the positive cultural association between violence and masculinity. We assess the campaign’s impact using data drawn from a national survey. The discussion examines the survey results in light of the literature, critically reviewing the campaign and outlining learning for future programs.

Research paper thumbnail of Conversation and Compliance: Role of Interpersonal Discussion and Social Norms in Public Communication Campaigns

This study explores the role of interpersonal discussion and social norms in a public health camp... more This study explores the role of interpersonal discussion and social norms in a public health campaign, the BBC Condom Normalization Campaign, designed to promote conversation and change the public perception of condom use in India. Drawing upon the integrative model of behavioral prediction, attitudes, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and descriptive norms were predicted to relate to behavioral intentions to use condoms. It is important to note that the valence of discussion was hypothesized to relate to each of these more proximal predictors. The authors used structural equation modeling to test the model on 3 separate samples of Indian men between the ages of 15 and 49 years: (a) high-risk men who had sex with nonspouses; (b) low-risk, sexually inactive, unmarried men; and (c) low-risk, monogamous, married men. Results were similar for low- and high-risk audiences, with valence of discussion about condoms predicting condom-related attitudes, self-efficacy, and subjective and descriptive social norms with respect to condom use, which, in turn, predicted behavioral intent to use condoms. These findings underscore the need to take not only the frequency but also the valence of interpersonal discussion into account when assessing the effect of health campaigns. Implications for theory and design of future public communication campaigns are explored.

Research paper thumbnail of Involved, Transported, or Emotional? Exploring the Determinants of Change in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior in Entertainment Education

This study examined how 3 constructs—involvement with a specific character, involvement with the ... more This study examined how 3 constructs—involvement with a specific character, involvement with the narrative (Green and Brock's construct of transportation), and viewers' emotional reaction to the narrative—produce entertainment-education (EE) effects. A pretest/posttest survey of 167 regular viewers measured the effects of exposure to a lymphoma storyline on a television drama, Desperate Housewives. Transportation or involvement with the narrative was the best predictor of change in relevant knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Although involvement with a specific character has been hailed an important direct predictor of EE effects, a structural equation model indicated that character involvement may be more important for its ability to heighten transportation and emotion, which, in turn, produce changes in viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

Research paper thumbnail of Research methods for studying evolutionary and ecological processes in organizational communication

Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processe... more Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processes of evolutionary theory and their applications to key issues in organizational communication.

Research paper thumbnail of Research methods for studying evolutionary and ecological processes in organizational communication

Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processe... more Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processes of evolutionary theory and their applications to key issues in organizational communication.

Research paper thumbnail of Advancing Research in Organizational Communication Through Quantitative Methodology

This article showcases current best practices in quantitative organizational communication resear... more This article showcases current best practices in quantitative organizational communication research. We emphasize their value in exploring issues of the day and their relation to other research approaches. Materials are presented around four themes: systematic development and validation of measures, including the use of mixed methods; multiple levels of analysis; the study of change and development over time; and relationships among people, units, organizations, and meanings.

Research paper thumbnail of The Importance of Interpersonal Discussion and Self-Efficacy In Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Models

International Journal of …, Jan 1, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of Emergency Preparedness and Compliance

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, Jan 1, 2009

"Background: In response to the evolving nature of potential disasters, both human made and natur... more "Background: In response to the evolving nature of potential disasters, both human made and natural, this research identifies predictors of individual emergency preparedness and compliance with government requests.

Methods: A survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults (1629 respondents) revealed which emergency supplies and plans they had in place; their perceived level of preparedness and that of their local health care system; the likelihood of 7 terrorist and 4 naturally occurring events, whether they would evacuate their home; shelter in place at home and work; be quarantined, vaccinated, or take medication; and whether they believed that these actions would increase their chances for survival.

Results: Having supplies was predicted by being male, older, wealthier, and white, living in the western United States, and being exposed to national news. Having plans was related to living in the western United States, having children, and being exposed to national news. Compliance was associated with being female and ill. Holding demographic factors constant, preparedness and compliance with government requests were associated with the perceived likelihood of a natural but not a terrorist event, the perceived efficacy of requested actions, and belief in one's local health care system.

Conclusions: A focus on natural as opposed to terrorist events and people's perceived efficacy of emergency actions and local health care systems may increase their preparedness and compliance with government requests.

Key Words: emergency, disaster, compliance, preparedness"

Research paper thumbnail of Who Cares What Others Think? The Role of Latinas' Acculturation in the Processing of HPV Vaccination Narrative Messages

This study investigated the role played by level of acculturation in the effect of narrative pers... more This study investigated the role played by level of acculturation in the effect of narrative persuasion on health-related outcomes. A random sample of 186 Mexican American females watched either a narrative designed to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake or an equivalent nonnarrative film. While message format failed to exert a direct effect on vaccination norms and behavioral intent, participants' level of acculturation played an important role in the processing of the message. Specifically, when treating acculturation as a moderator, consistent effects emerged for less acculturated Latinas on various research outcomes, including descriptive and injunctive norms regarding HPV vaccine uptake. These findings extend the discussion on health communication through storytelling by calling attention to the importance of cultural factors in the framework of narrative persuasion.

Research paper thumbnail of Involved, Transported, or Emotional? Exploring the Determinants of Change in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior in Entertainment‐Education

Journal of …, Jan 1, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Information scanning and vaccine safety concerns among African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White women

Objective A significant number of parents delay or refuse vaccinating their children. Incidental ... more Objective
A significant number of parents delay or refuse vaccinating their children. Incidental exposure to vaccine information (i.e., scanned information) may be an important contributor to anti-vaccine sentiment. This study examines the association between scanned information, trust in health information sources and vaccine safety concerns among African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White women.

Methods
Women (N=761) in Los Angeles County were sampled via random digit dial and surveyed regarding use of and trust in health information resources and vaccine safety concerns.

Results
Analyses indicate that the sources of information associated with vaccine safety concerns varied by ethnicity. Each ethnic group exhibited different patterns of association between trust in health information resources and vaccine safety concerns.

Conclusions
Information scanning is associated with beliefs about vaccine safety, which may lead parents to refuse or delay vaccinating their children. These relationships vary by ethnicity.

Practice Implications
These findings help inform practitioners and policy makers about communication factors that influence vaccine safety concerns. Knowing these sources of information will equip practitioners to better identify women who may have been exposed to anti-vaccine messages and counter these beliefs with effective, vaccine-promoting messages via the most relevant information sources.

Research paper thumbnail of Telling stories, saving lives: Creating narrative health messages

Increasingly, health communication practitioners are exploring the use of narrative storytelling ... more Increasingly, health communication practitioners are exploring the use of narrative storytelling to convey health information. For this study, a narrative film was produced to provide information about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer prevention. The storyline centered on Lupita, a young woman recently diagnosed with HPV who informs her family about HPV and the availability of the HPV vaccine for her younger sister. The objective was to examine the roles of identification with characters and narrative involvement (made up of three dimensions: involvement, perceived relevance, and immersion) on perceived response efficacy, perceived severity, and perceived susceptibility to HPV and behavior (discussing the HPV vaccine with a health care provider). A random sample of 450 European American, Mexican American, and African American women between the ages of 25 and 45 years, living in the Los Angeles area, was surveyed by phone before, 2 weeks after, and 6 months after viewing the film. The more relevant women found the narrative to their own lives at 2 weeks, the higher they perceived the severity of the virus and the perceived response efficacy of the vaccine to be. Also at 2 weeks, identifying with characters was positively associated with perceived susceptibility to HPV but negatively associated with perceived severity. At 6 months, identification with specific characters was significantly associated with perceived threat and behavior. These findings suggest that different aspects of narrative health messages should be manipulated depending on the specific beliefs and behaviors being targeted. Implications for narrative message design are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Narrative versus Nonnarrative: The Role of Identification, Transportation, and Emotion in Reducing Health Disparities

This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces greater impact on he... more This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces greater impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention than presenting the identical information in a more traditional, nonfiction, nonnarrative format. European American, Mexican American, and African American women (N = 758) were surveyed before and after viewing either a narrative or nonnarrative cervical cancer-related film. The narrative was more effective in increasing cervical cancer-related knowledge and attitudes. Moreover, in response to the narrative featuring Latinas, Mexican Americans were most transported, identified most with the characters, and experienced the strongest emotions. Regressions revealed that transportation, identification with specific characters, and emotion contributed to shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Thus, narrative formats may provide a valuable tool in reducing health disparities.

Research paper thumbnail of The ability of narrative communication to address health-related social norms

International Review of Social Research, 2013

Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of... more Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of health communication campaigns. However, these campaigns often encounter challenges related to the socially specific context in which norms exist: specifically, the extent to which the target population identifies with the specific reference group depicted and the extent to which the target population believes the campaign’s message. We argue that because of its capacity to effect identification among viewers, narrative communication is particularly appropriate for impacting social norms and, consequently, behavioral intention. This manuscript presents the results of a randomized trial testing the effectiveness of two films – one narrative, one non-narrative – in changing perceived social norms and behavioral intention regarding Pap testing to detect cervical cancer. Results of the study indicate that the narrative film was in fact more effective at producing positive changes in perceived norms and intention.

Research paper thumbnail of Combating violence against women through C4D: The Use Your Voice campaign and its implications on audience-citizens in Papua New Guinea

International Journal of Communication, Sep 2013

Violence against women (VAW) is universally identified as a barrier to legal, social, political, ... more Violence against women (VAW) is universally identified as a barrier to legal, social, political, and economic equality for women, violating their rights and fundamental freedoms. This article brings together existing literature and empirical research on addressing such violence in Papua New Guinea (PNG), providing results that can inform future work in this area. The literature review examines the causes of violence against women and the role that communication for development (C4D) can play in addressing these issues. The Use Your Voice campaign was implemented in PNG in late 2011 in an effort to promote speaking out against violence and displace the positive cultural association between violence and masculinity. We assess the campaign’s impact using data drawn from a national survey. The discussion examines the survey results in light of the literature, critically reviewing the campaign and outlining learning for future programs.

Research paper thumbnail of Conversation and Compliance: Role of Interpersonal Discussion and Social Norms in Public Communication Campaigns

This study explores the role of interpersonal discussion and social norms in a public health camp... more This study explores the role of interpersonal discussion and social norms in a public health campaign, the BBC Condom Normalization Campaign, designed to promote conversation and change the public perception of condom use in India. Drawing upon the integrative model of behavioral prediction, attitudes, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and descriptive norms were predicted to relate to behavioral intentions to use condoms. It is important to note that the valence of discussion was hypothesized to relate to each of these more proximal predictors. The authors used structural equation modeling to test the model on 3 separate samples of Indian men between the ages of 15 and 49 years: (a) high-risk men who had sex with nonspouses; (b) low-risk, sexually inactive, unmarried men; and (c) low-risk, monogamous, married men. Results were similar for low- and high-risk audiences, with valence of discussion about condoms predicting condom-related attitudes, self-efficacy, and subjective and descriptive social norms with respect to condom use, which, in turn, predicted behavioral intent to use condoms. These findings underscore the need to take not only the frequency but also the valence of interpersonal discussion into account when assessing the effect of health campaigns. Implications for theory and design of future public communication campaigns are explored.

Research paper thumbnail of Involved, Transported, or Emotional? Exploring the Determinants of Change in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior in Entertainment Education

This study examined how 3 constructs—involvement with a specific character, involvement with the ... more This study examined how 3 constructs—involvement with a specific character, involvement with the narrative (Green and Brock's construct of transportation), and viewers' emotional reaction to the narrative—produce entertainment-education (EE) effects. A pretest/posttest survey of 167 regular viewers measured the effects of exposure to a lymphoma storyline on a television drama, Desperate Housewives. Transportation or involvement with the narrative was the best predictor of change in relevant knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Although involvement with a specific character has been hailed an important direct predictor of EE effects, a structural equation model indicated that character involvement may be more important for its ability to heighten transportation and emotion, which, in turn, produce changes in viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

Research paper thumbnail of Research methods for studying evolutionary and ecological processes in organizational communication

Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processe... more Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processes of evolutionary theory and their applications to key issues in organizational communication.

Research paper thumbnail of Research methods for studying evolutionary and ecological processes in organizational communication

Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processe... more Abstract In a previous MCQ article, Monge et al. overviewed the fundamental concepts and processes of evolutionary theory and their applications to key issues in organizational communication.

Research paper thumbnail of Advancing Research in Organizational Communication Through Quantitative Methodology

This article showcases current best practices in quantitative organizational communication resear... more This article showcases current best practices in quantitative organizational communication research. We emphasize their value in exploring issues of the day and their relation to other research approaches. Materials are presented around four themes: systematic development and validation of measures, including the use of mixed methods; multiple levels of analysis; the study of change and development over time; and relationships among people, units, organizations, and meanings.

Research paper thumbnail of The Importance of Interpersonal Discussion and Self-Efficacy In Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Models

International Journal of …, Jan 1, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of Emergency Preparedness and Compliance

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, Jan 1, 2009

"Background: In response to the evolving nature of potential disasters, both human made and natur... more "Background: In response to the evolving nature of potential disasters, both human made and natural, this research identifies predictors of individual emergency preparedness and compliance with government requests.

Methods: A survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults (1629 respondents) revealed which emergency supplies and plans they had in place; their perceived level of preparedness and that of their local health care system; the likelihood of 7 terrorist and 4 naturally occurring events, whether they would evacuate their home; shelter in place at home and work; be quarantined, vaccinated, or take medication; and whether they believed that these actions would increase their chances for survival.

Results: Having supplies was predicted by being male, older, wealthier, and white, living in the western United States, and being exposed to national news. Having plans was related to living in the western United States, having children, and being exposed to national news. Compliance was associated with being female and ill. Holding demographic factors constant, preparedness and compliance with government requests were associated with the perceived likelihood of a natural but not a terrorist event, the perceived efficacy of requested actions, and belief in one's local health care system.

Conclusions: A focus on natural as opposed to terrorist events and people's perceived efficacy of emergency actions and local health care systems may increase their preparedness and compliance with government requests.

Key Words: emergency, disaster, compliance, preparedness"