Daniel Romer | University of Pennsylvania (original) (raw)

Papers by Daniel Romer

Pediatric Clinics of North America

Journal of medical Internet research, Jan 29, 2018

Recent content analyses of YouTube postings reveal a proliferation of user generated videos with ... more Recent content analyses of YouTube postings reveal a proliferation of user generated videos with misleading statements about the health consequences of various types of nontraditional tobacco use (eg, electronic cigarettes; e-cigarettes). This research was aimed at obtaining evidence about the potential effects of YouTube postings about tobacco products on viewers' attitudes toward these products. A sample of young adults recruited online (N=350) viewed one of four highly viewed YouTube videos containing misleading health statements about chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, hookahs, and pipe smoking, as well as a control YouTube video unrelated to tobacco products. The videos about e-cigarettes and hookahs led to more positive attitudes toward the featured products than did control videos. However, these effects did not fully translate into attitudes toward combustive cigarette smoking, although the pipe video led to more positive attitudes toward combustive smoking than did the chew...

Frontiers in Psychology, Aug 3, 2023

American Psychologist, Nov 1, 2020

Memorializes James G. Kelly (1929-2020), one of the founders of the field of Community Psychology... more Memorializes James G. Kelly (1929-2020), one of the founders of the field of Community Psychology in the United States. Jim was one of the last surviving attendees of the 1965 Swampscott Conference, an event sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health that is considered the origin of community psychology in the United States. He was a founding member of the Division of Community Psychology of the American Psychological Association in 1967 (now The Society for Community Research and Action, SRCA). Jim mentored doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars with an extraordinary level of commitment to their development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual MeetingTransportation Research Board, 2018

Journal of Adolescent Health, Jul 1, 2020

Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Dec 13, 2017

Social Science & Medicine, Jul 1, 2019

Social Science & Medicine, Dec 1, 2021

Rationale. Previous research has shown that during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in t... more Rationale. Previous research has shown that during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, users of conservative media were more likely to accept conspiracy theories about the pandemic and less likely to accept pandemic mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and vaccination. Objective To test the hypothesis that during the first year of the pandemic, viewers who were prone to conspiratorial thinking engaged in selective exposure to conservative media which served to enhance pandemic-related conspiracy beliefs. Methods A national 3-wave longitudinal survey of 883 US respondents running from March to November 2020 assessed media-use habits, belief in COVID-related conspiracies, conspiratorial thinking, mask-wearing, intention to accept a COVID vaccine, and trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Growth curve models were used to analyze changes in conspiracy beliefs and associated public health outcomes. Results Users of conservative media were disproportionately likely to engage in conspiratorial thinking, to vote for President Trump, and to be ideologically conservative. They were also less likely to use mainstream news sources and displayed increasing belief in pandemic conspiracies. Increases in conspiracy beliefs were associated with reduced support for pandemic prevention. Although users of conservative media supported vaccination and trusted the CDC at the outset of the study, continued exposure to conservative media reduced support for both. Increasing use of mainstream print was associated with less endorsement of pandemic conspiracy beliefs. Viewers of mainstream television news did not exhibit change in pandemic conspiracy beliefs over time. Conclusion Conservative media in the US have attracted users prone to conspiratorial thinking and conservative political views who are also less exposed to mainstream news. The selective use of these media enhances belief in conspiracies that pose challenges to the country's ability to control a public health crisis such as the COVID pandemic.

Journal of Medical Internet Research, Apr 27, 2021

International Journal of Communication, Sep 13, 2020

YouTube’s propagation of misleading protobacco content to youth has the potential to increase the... more YouTube’s propagation of misleading protobacco content to youth has the potential to increase their protobacco beliefs, attitudes, and smoking behavior. We assessed the effects of potential interventions aimed at ameliorating the effect of misleading protobacco videos. An online experiment randomly exposed past and current young tobacco users ( N = 716) between the ages of 15 and 19 years to real protobacco, pipe-focused YouTube content that was either shown in its original uncorrected form or edited to include either a propositional voiced and text-based rebuttal that warned about the health effects of smoking or a counternarrative that showed that a person who promoted protobacco messages was diagnosed with and eventually died from esophageal cancer. On average, the two interventions were equally effective at reducing the effects of protobacco messages on beliefs and attitudes. However, the narrative correction was more effective for participants who strongly identified with the character. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Archives of Suicide Research, Jul 1, 2011

Trends in suicidal behavior portrayal in movies may reflect greater societal acceptance of suicid... more Trends in suicidal behavior portrayal in movies may reflect greater societal acceptance of suicide with potential adverse effects on adolescents. To assess the potential for such adverse effects, explicit portrayals of suicidal behavior and the ratings of films were coded in top-grossing U.S. movies from 1950-2006 (N = 855). Suicidal behavior portrayal in films increased linearly from 1950 to 2006. From 1968-1984, movies rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America had 5 times more highly explicit suicide behavior portrayals than did G/PG films. After the adoption of the PG-13 category in 1985, PG-13 and R films were indistinguishable on this measure. The results indicate the need for further study of the effects of suicidal behavior portrayals on adolescent movie audiences.

Journal of Medical Internet Research, Jun 29, 2018

Health Psychology, Aug 1, 2020

OBJECTIVE Greater numeracy is associated with higher likelihood to quit smoking. We examined whet... more OBJECTIVE Greater numeracy is associated with higher likelihood to quit smoking. We examined whether numeracy supports learning of numeric health-risk information and, in turn, greater risk perceptions and quit intentions. METHOD Adult smokers (N = 696) viewed text warnings with numeric risk information four times each in one of three warning-label types (text-only, low-emotion pictorial [i.e., with image], high-emotion pictorial). They completed posttest measures immediately or 6 weeks later. Emotional reactions to warnings were reported the second time participants viewed the warnings. Numeracy, memory for risk probabilities and risk outcomes, risk perceptions, and quit intentions were assessed postexposures. RESULTS Memory for risk probabilities and risk outcomes depended on warning-label type and posttest timing. Consistent with memory-consolidation theory, memory for high- versus low-emotion labels was lower immediately, but declined less for high-than low-emotion labels. Label memory was similar between conditions at 6 weeks. Numeracy predicted overall superior memory (especially for risk probabilities) controlling for health literacy and education. It also indirectly predicted greater risk perceptions and quit intentions via memory. In exploratory analyses, however, the superior recall of risk probabilities of smoking among those higher in numeracy was associated with lower risk perceptions. CONCLUSIONS Numeracy is associated with superior risk memory, which relates to greater risk perceptions and quit intentions. More numerate and educated smokers may be better able to quit due to their superior learning of smoking's risks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Pediatric Clinics of North America

Journal of medical Internet research, Jan 29, 2018

Recent content analyses of YouTube postings reveal a proliferation of user generated videos with ... more Recent content analyses of YouTube postings reveal a proliferation of user generated videos with misleading statements about the health consequences of various types of nontraditional tobacco use (eg, electronic cigarettes; e-cigarettes). This research was aimed at obtaining evidence about the potential effects of YouTube postings about tobacco products on viewers' attitudes toward these products. A sample of young adults recruited online (N=350) viewed one of four highly viewed YouTube videos containing misleading health statements about chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, hookahs, and pipe smoking, as well as a control YouTube video unrelated to tobacco products. The videos about e-cigarettes and hookahs led to more positive attitudes toward the featured products than did control videos. However, these effects did not fully translate into attitudes toward combustive cigarette smoking, although the pipe video led to more positive attitudes toward combustive smoking than did the chew...

Frontiers in Psychology, Aug 3, 2023

American Psychologist, Nov 1, 2020

Memorializes James G. Kelly (1929-2020), one of the founders of the field of Community Psychology... more Memorializes James G. Kelly (1929-2020), one of the founders of the field of Community Psychology in the United States. Jim was one of the last surviving attendees of the 1965 Swampscott Conference, an event sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health that is considered the origin of community psychology in the United States. He was a founding member of the Division of Community Psychology of the American Psychological Association in 1967 (now The Society for Community Research and Action, SRCA). Jim mentored doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars with an extraordinary level of commitment to their development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual MeetingTransportation Research Board, 2018

Journal of Adolescent Health, Jul 1, 2020

Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Dec 13, 2017

Social Science & Medicine, Jul 1, 2019

Social Science & Medicine, Dec 1, 2021

Rationale. Previous research has shown that during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in t... more Rationale. Previous research has shown that during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, users of conservative media were more likely to accept conspiracy theories about the pandemic and less likely to accept pandemic mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and vaccination. Objective To test the hypothesis that during the first year of the pandemic, viewers who were prone to conspiratorial thinking engaged in selective exposure to conservative media which served to enhance pandemic-related conspiracy beliefs. Methods A national 3-wave longitudinal survey of 883 US respondents running from March to November 2020 assessed media-use habits, belief in COVID-related conspiracies, conspiratorial thinking, mask-wearing, intention to accept a COVID vaccine, and trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Growth curve models were used to analyze changes in conspiracy beliefs and associated public health outcomes. Results Users of conservative media were disproportionately likely to engage in conspiratorial thinking, to vote for President Trump, and to be ideologically conservative. They were also less likely to use mainstream news sources and displayed increasing belief in pandemic conspiracies. Increases in conspiracy beliefs were associated with reduced support for pandemic prevention. Although users of conservative media supported vaccination and trusted the CDC at the outset of the study, continued exposure to conservative media reduced support for both. Increasing use of mainstream print was associated with less endorsement of pandemic conspiracy beliefs. Viewers of mainstream television news did not exhibit change in pandemic conspiracy beliefs over time. Conclusion Conservative media in the US have attracted users prone to conspiratorial thinking and conservative political views who are also less exposed to mainstream news. The selective use of these media enhances belief in conspiracies that pose challenges to the country's ability to control a public health crisis such as the COVID pandemic.

Journal of Medical Internet Research, Apr 27, 2021

International Journal of Communication, Sep 13, 2020

YouTube’s propagation of misleading protobacco content to youth has the potential to increase the... more YouTube’s propagation of misleading protobacco content to youth has the potential to increase their protobacco beliefs, attitudes, and smoking behavior. We assessed the effects of potential interventions aimed at ameliorating the effect of misleading protobacco videos. An online experiment randomly exposed past and current young tobacco users ( N = 716) between the ages of 15 and 19 years to real protobacco, pipe-focused YouTube content that was either shown in its original uncorrected form or edited to include either a propositional voiced and text-based rebuttal that warned about the health effects of smoking or a counternarrative that showed that a person who promoted protobacco messages was diagnosed with and eventually died from esophageal cancer. On average, the two interventions were equally effective at reducing the effects of protobacco messages on beliefs and attitudes. However, the narrative correction was more effective for participants who strongly identified with the character. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Archives of Suicide Research, Jul 1, 2011

Trends in suicidal behavior portrayal in movies may reflect greater societal acceptance of suicid... more Trends in suicidal behavior portrayal in movies may reflect greater societal acceptance of suicide with potential adverse effects on adolescents. To assess the potential for such adverse effects, explicit portrayals of suicidal behavior and the ratings of films were coded in top-grossing U.S. movies from 1950-2006 (N = 855). Suicidal behavior portrayal in films increased linearly from 1950 to 2006. From 1968-1984, movies rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America had 5 times more highly explicit suicide behavior portrayals than did G/PG films. After the adoption of the PG-13 category in 1985, PG-13 and R films were indistinguishable on this measure. The results indicate the need for further study of the effects of suicidal behavior portrayals on adolescent movie audiences.

Journal of Medical Internet Research, Jun 29, 2018

Health Psychology, Aug 1, 2020

OBJECTIVE Greater numeracy is associated with higher likelihood to quit smoking. We examined whet... more OBJECTIVE Greater numeracy is associated with higher likelihood to quit smoking. We examined whether numeracy supports learning of numeric health-risk information and, in turn, greater risk perceptions and quit intentions. METHOD Adult smokers (N = 696) viewed text warnings with numeric risk information four times each in one of three warning-label types (text-only, low-emotion pictorial [i.e., with image], high-emotion pictorial). They completed posttest measures immediately or 6 weeks later. Emotional reactions to warnings were reported the second time participants viewed the warnings. Numeracy, memory for risk probabilities and risk outcomes, risk perceptions, and quit intentions were assessed postexposures. RESULTS Memory for risk probabilities and risk outcomes depended on warning-label type and posttest timing. Consistent with memory-consolidation theory, memory for high- versus low-emotion labels was lower immediately, but declined less for high-than low-emotion labels. Label memory was similar between conditions at 6 weeks. Numeracy predicted overall superior memory (especially for risk probabilities) controlling for health literacy and education. It also indirectly predicted greater risk perceptions and quit intentions via memory. In exploratory analyses, however, the superior recall of risk probabilities of smoking among those higher in numeracy was associated with lower risk perceptions. CONCLUSIONS Numeracy is associated with superior risk memory, which relates to greater risk perceptions and quit intentions. More numerate and educated smokers may be better able to quit due to their superior learning of smoking's risks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Greater sensory stimulation in advertising has been postulated to facilitate attention and persua... more Greater sensory stimulation in advertising has been postulated to facilitate attention and persuasion. For this reason, video ads promoting health behaviors are often designed to be high in "message sensation value" (MSV), a standardized measure of sensory intensity of the audiovisual and content features of an ad. However, our previous functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study showed that low MSV ads were better remembered and produced more prefrontal and temporal and less occipital cortex activation, suggesting that high MSV may divert cognitive resources from processing ad content. The present study aimed to determine whether these findings from anti-smoking ads generalize to other public health topics, such as safe sex. Thirty-nine healthy adults viewed high- and low MSV ads promoting safer sex through condom use, during an fMRI session. Recognition memory of the ads was tested immediately and 3 weeks after the session. We found that low MSV condom ads were better remembered than the high MSV ads at both time points and replicated the fMRI patterns previously reported for the anti-smoking ads. Occipital and superior temporal activation was negatively related to the attitudes favoring condom use (see Condom Attitudes Scale, Methods and Materials section). Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis of the relation between occipital and fronto-temporal (middle temporal and inferior frontal gyri) cortices revealed weaker negative interactions between occipital and fronto-temporal cortices during viewing of the low MSV that high MSV ads. These findings confirm that the low MSV video health messages are better remembered than the high MSV messages and that this effect generalizes across public health domains. The greater engagement of the prefrontal and fronto-temporal cortices by low MSV ads and the greater occipital activation by high MSV ads suggest that that the "attention-grabbing" high MSV format could impede the learning and retention of public health messages.