Effects of Scanning Health News Headlines on Trust in Science: An Emotional Framing Perspective.

Rooted in the emotions-as-frames model (EFM), this research examines how hope, fear, and annoyance are evoked through health news headline scanning, and how these emotions influence perceptions of news and medical science institutions as well as health behavioral intentions. A sample of U.S. adults (N = 327) were assigned to one of four headline framing conditions expected to associate with different emotions (positive future frame-hope; threat frame-fear/anxiety; reversal frame-annoyance; and control-neutral) and then asked about their emotional states, trust in science and news, and health-related behavioral intentions. Overall, health news headlines generated more hope than any other emotion across all conditions, and positive future-framed headlines evoked more hope than other framed headlines. Felt hope, in turn, generated greater trust in news and science, higher expectations of medical breakthroughs and cures, and greater intention to engage in preventative health behaviors. Felt anxiety had marginal positive benefits whereas felt annoyance negatively impacted the outcomes of interest. Notably, felt emotion mediated the headline frame-outcome relationships in the positive future/hope condition. These findings offer some support for the EFM and demonstrate that scanning headlines imbued with specific emotional frames can influence important health-related outcomes through the emotions they evoke. We discuss both the theoretical and practical implication of these findings.

Is all anger created equal? A meta-analytic assessment of anger elicitation in persuasion research.

Although veritable libraries have been written about anger, the practical and theoretical understanding of its effects has been somewhat hampered by the difficulty of experimentally manipulating this emotion. Thus, key questions related to methodological precision and theoretical clarity remain, specifically with regard to whether and how anger induction techniques may interact with various moderators and elicit other co-occurring emotions in the process. Addressing this gap, a meta-analysis of 31 experimental studies in persuasion offers insights regarding the effect of anger elicitation on felt anger and its sensitivity to a host of theoretically meaningful moderators, as well as the relationship between anger induction and the arousal of other incidental emotions. Findings broadly affirm the complexity of anger as a contested emotion and offer new insight into methodological considerations and theoretical nuances of anger elicitations to be taken into account in persuasion research. These results should be interpreted with the caveat of an exclusive focus on persuasion and a Western-centric corpus of studies, further accenting the need to diversify and expand research into emotions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dying to Fit In: How Interpersonal Networks Shape COVID-19 Health Outcomes Through Discussion and Social Norms.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated the ability of social networks, interpersonal discussion, and perceived social norms to shape health-related outcomes. There are still substantial gaps, however, in understanding the theoretical mechanism that holds these components together, as well as the boundary conditions of their effects. Employing ego-network analysis with a representative sample of Illinois residents (N = 711) and focusing on the context of COVID-19 vaccine adherence, this study constructs a comprehensive framework to examine the direct, indirect, and conditional relationships linking social capital within networks, factual knowledge, and vaccination. Overall, the results point to the ability of tight-knit networks to influence knowledge and behavior for better or worse, depending on the composition of the network and its conversational valence. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

From Watching to Calling: Linking Variations in an Entertainment-Education Storyline with Calls to a Health Hotline.

Substantial gaps exist in the theoretical conceptualization and practical development of entertainment-education, as studies often fail to account for the ways in which intrinsic message characteristics influence subsequent behavior. These gaps served as the impetus for an international collaborative project that evaluated Vencer el Miedo ("Overcome the Fear"), a Spanish-language program that aired in Mexico from January to March 2020. The telenovela was produced with the aim of improving sexual and reproductive health knowledge and behaviors by modeling effective ways to discuss and negotiate safer sex practices. The show was accompanied by a telephone hotline called OrientaSEX operated by professional counselors from MEXFAM, Planned Parenthood's Mexican affiliate. Utilizing an interrupted time series analysis of calls made to OrientaSEX (N = 11,878) and focusing on changes in the volume of calls and the identity of callers following key moments in the storyline, the findings support the central role played by transitional characters and their similarity to audience members. Implications of these results for the theory and practice of entertainment-education are discussed.

Vaccine Hesitancy Under the Magnifying Glass: A Systematic Review of the Uses and Misuses of an Increasingly Popular Construct.

Resistance to vaccines has hindered attempts to contain and prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases for centuries. More recently, however, the term "vaccine hesitancy" has been used to describe not necessarily outright resistance but also a delay in acceptance or uncertainty regarding vaccines. Given concerns about hesitancy and its impact on vaccine uptake rates, researchers increasingly shifted the focus from resistance to vaccines toward vaccine hesitancy. Acknowledging the urgency to accurately assess the phenomenon, it is critical to understand the state of the literature, focusing on issues of conceptualization and operationalization. To carry out this systematic review, we collected and analyzed all published empirical articles from 2000 to 2021 that explicitly included quantitative self-report measures of vaccine hesitancy (k = 86). Using a mixed-method approach, the review demonstrates and quantifies crucial inconsistencies in the measurement of the construct, lack of clarity in regard to the determination of who should or should not be defined as hesitant, and overreliance on unrepresentative samples. Crucially, our analysis points to a potential systematic bias toward exaggerating the level of hesitancy in the population. Modeling a vaccine hesitancy co-citation network, the analysis also points to the existence of insular academic silos that make it harder to achieve a unified measurement tool. Theoretical and practical implications for academics, practitioners, and policymakers are discussed.

Can a Video a Day Keep Stress Away? A Test of Media Prescriptions.

This research attempts to both replicate initial research on media prescriptions - the assignment of small doses of positively-valenced media for the purposes of reducing perceived stress - and, through the lens of the broaden-and-build theory, shed light on the process through which this effect might emerge. Two longitudinal data sets were collected, one with college students (N = 182) and one with U.S. adults (N = 197), in which participants were assigned to watch either comedic or inspiring media clips every day for 5 days. Findings indicated that both amusement and hope generated by media exposure reduced perceived stress over time. Specifically, inspiring media reduced perceived stress through its effect on felt hope for both samples, whereas comedic media reduced perceived stress via felt amusement for the general adult sample only. Further, as predicted, serial mediation through felt emotion and coping efficacy emerged for amusement in the student sample and for hope in the general sample. Given these data were collected during an inordinately stressful time in both the U.S. and the world with rising rates of COVID-19, a highly contentious political election, and tensions over racial inequity, these findings suggest that media, if harnessed appropriately, could be a useful tool in one's coping arsenal. A call for better understanding of the process through which media prescriptions have effect and their boundary conditions is advanced.

Interventions to mitigate vaping misinformation: protocol for a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The impact of misinformation about vapes' relative harms compared with smoking may lead to increased tobacco-related burden of disease. To date, no systematic efforts have been made to chart interventions that mitigate vaping-related misinformation. We plan to conduct a scoping review that seeks to fill gaps in the current knowledge of interventions that mitigate vaping-related misinformation. METHODS: A scoping review focusing on interventions that mitigate vaping-related misinformation will be conducted. We will search (no date restrictions) MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Global Health, ERIC, and Sociological Abstracts. Gray literature will be identified using Disaster Lit, Google Scholar, Open Science Framework, governmental websites, and preprint servers (e.g., EuropePMC, PsyArXiv, MedRxiv, JMIR Preprints). Study selection will conform to Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual 2020 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. Only English language, original studies will be considered for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. A narrative summary of findings will be conducted. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., content and thematic analysis) methods. Where possible, a single effect size of exposure to the mitigation of vaping-related misinformation will be calculated per sample. Similarly, where possible, each study will be coded for moderating characteristics to find and account for systematic differences in the size of the effect or outcome that is being analyzed. Quality will be appraised with the study quality assessment tools utilized by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Findings will be subjected to several different publication bias tests: Egger's regression test, Begg and Mazumdar's ran correlation test, and generation of a funnel plot with effect sizes plotted against a corresponding standard error. DISCUSSION: Original research is urgently needed to design interventions to mitigate vaping-related misinformation. The planned scoping review will help to address this gap. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework osf/io/hy3tk.

Drama, Intrigue, and Discussion: The Role of Telenovelas in Facilitating Conversations about Reproductive Health in Mexican Households.

This study examines the role of an entertainment-education intervention in informing Mexican adolescents and parents about sexual and reproductive health-related discussion and information-seeking. A survey of young adult (N = 491) and parent (N = 223) viewers of the Spanish-language program Vencer el Miedo assessed the influence of exposure to the telenovela's storylines regarding these issues. Heavy viewing of the program predicted adolescent information-seeking about contraceptives via three distinct channels. Additionally, some effects were recorded for parent viewers, and parent-child co-viewing emerged as a significant moderator of communication about one reproductive health topic. Overall, these findings suggest that entertainment-education programs tailored to Mexican culture and the experiences of Mexican families can bring about attitudinal and behavioral changes across the age spectrum, an outcome that is particularly important given the relatively low rates of contraceptive knowledge and use among adolescents across the country.

Contentious Entertainment: The Role of Character and Narrative Features in Shaping Audience Response to Abortion Storylines.

In the United States, a growing number of television shows have introduced storylines involving abortion and reproductive health which have the potential to inform and educate viewers. In light of this increase in both the number and diversity of representations, there remain questions regarding their impact on audience attitudes toward this contentious issue. Using a 3 (character disposition) x 2 (consent status) experiment (N = 520), this study examines the influence of a storyline from the television show 13 Reasons Why. By manipulating both the context of the sexual encounter (a narrative feature) and the main character's affective disposition (a character feature), the study sought to better understand the role such contextual features play in shaping the audience's response, both directly as well as through their influences on identification. The findings indicate a need for caution in presenting controversial issues on screen: a worrying asymmetry emerged, where negative contextual features promoted less favorable attitudes while positive features had no observable effect. Consequently, abortion depictions could potentially contribute to anti-abortion sentiments if the focal characters are not presented sympathetically and favorably. Thus, enhancing the appeal of these representations should be of paramount importance for conscientious storytellers and practitioners.

Interventions to mitigate COVID-19 misinformation: protocol for a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends in a large part on individual and societal actions which is influenced by the quality and salience of the information to which they are exposed. Unfortunately, COVID-19 misinformation has proliferated. To date, no systematic efforts have been made to evaluate interventions that mitigate COVID-19-related misinformation. We plan to conduct a scoping review that seeks to fill several of the gaps in the current knowledge of interventions that mitigate COVID-19-related misinformation. METHODS: A scoping review focusing on interventions that mitigate COVID-19 misinformation will be conducted. We will search (from January 2020 onwards) MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Africa-Wide Information, Global Health, WHO Global Literature on Coronavirus Disease Database, WHO Global Index Medicus, and Sociological Abstracts. Gray literature will be identified using Disaster Lit, Google Scholar, Open Science Framework, governmental websites, and preprint servers (e.g., EuropePMC, PsyArXiv, MedRxiv, JMIR Preprints). Study selection will conform to Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual 2020 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. Only English language, original studies will be considered for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. A narrative summary of findings will be conducted. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., content and thematic analysis) methods. DISCUSSION: Original research is urgently needed to design interventions to mitigate COVID-19 misinformation. The planned scoping review will help to address this gap. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATIONS: Systematic Review Registration: Open Science Framework (osf/io/etw9d).

Interventions to Mitigate Vaping Misinformation: A Meta-Analysis.

The impact of misinformation about vapes' relative harms compared with smoking may lead to increased tobacco-related burden of disease and youth vaping. Unfortunately, vaping misinformation has proliferated. Despite growing attempts to mitigate vaping misinformation, there is still considerable ambiguity regarding the ability to effectively curb the negative impact of misinformation. To address this gap, we use a meta-analysis to evaluate the relative impact of interventions designed to mitigate vaping-related misinformation. We searched (from January 2020 till August 2021) various databases and gray literature. Only English language, original studies that employed experimental designs where participants were randomly assigned either to receive mitigating information or to a no-mitigation condition (either misinformation-only or neutral control) were included. Meta-analysis was conducted for the four eligible studies. The mean effect size of attempts to mitigate vaping misinformation was positive but not statistically significant (d = 0.383, 95% CI [-0.029, 0.796], p = .061, k = 5) with lack of evidence for publication bias. Given limited studies included, we were unable to determine factors affecting the efficacy of interventions. The limited focus on non-US studies and youth populations is concerning given the popularity of vaping in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) and among youth. The findings of this meta-analysis describe the current state of the literature and prescribe specific recommendations to better address the proliferation of vaping misinformation, providing insights helpful in limiting the tobacco mortality burden and curtailing youth vaping.

The Effect of an Entertainment-Education Intervention on Reproductive Health of Young Women of Color.

While teen pregnancy rates in the United States have been declining for decades, they remain the highest of all western countries. Within the U.S., Black and Latina teens experience disproportionate rates of unplanned pregnancy. Plan A is an entertainment-education video intervention that was developed to help address these disparities, in part by emphasizing the ability of young cisgender women to control when they become pregnant by using an effective contraception method. The intervention was developed in close collaboration with the target audience (Black and Latina women aged 18-19) to ensure that it was relevant, engaging, and motivational. We conducted an online study to: (a) investigate the effects of Plan A on attitudes toward the contraception methods covered in the video; (b) whether these effects varied by race/ethnicity or age, and; (c) if identification with characters in the video mediated these effects. The study used a posttest-only design where participants were randomly assigned to watch Plan A or to a neutral control condition. The sample included Black, Latina, and non-Latina White women aged 16 to 19 (N= 242), with younger and White women included for comparison purposes. Results indicated that exposure to Plan A significantly improved attitudes toward long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) among all age groups and among young Black and Latina women, but not White women. These findings may be explained by participant's identification with the Black and Latina lead characters - both of whom model positive reproductive health behaviors.

Prime-time abortion on Grey's Anatomy: What do US viewers learn from fictional portrayals of abortion on television?

CONTEXT: Entertainment television can impact viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and reproductive health behaviors, yet little research has examined the impact of scripted abortion plotlines on viewers' abortion knowledge or social supportiveness for those having abortions. We examined the impact of an abortion storyline from Grey's Anatomy on US-based viewers. METHOD: We conducted an online survey of likely Grey's Anatomy viewers prior to the episode's airing, assessing abortion ideology, knowledge, and support. After airing, we resurveyed respondents (including both those who had and had not viewed the target episode). We tested three hypotheses: episode exposure would (1) improve abortion knowledge and (2) increase support for medication abortion and decrease support for self-induced abortion, and (3) the effects on knowledge and supportive intention would be moderated by state support for abortion. We used independent samples t tests to examine hypotheses 1 and 2 and PROCESS macro to test the moderated effects (hypothesis 3). RESULTS: The results of the pretest/posttest analysis indicated that exposure to the episode significantly improved medication abortion knowledge. Increases in medication abortion knowledge were tied to explicit educational dialogue and did not translate into an increase in general abortion knowledge or social supportiveness. Notably, abortion-related state policy significantly moderated the influence of exposure for respondents in states with policies favorable to abortion access. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that entertainment television can contribute to meaningful increases in viewers' knowledge about abortion, but that the potential for impact of entertainment-education is closely linked to episode content and moderated by state-level abortion policy.

Comparative Studies of the Structural and Transport Properties of Molten Salt FLiNaK Using the Machine-Learned Neural Network and Reparametrized Classical Forcefields.

Despite surging interest in molten salt reactors and thermal storage systems, knowledge of the physicochemical properties of molten salts are still inadequate due to demanding experiments that require high temperature, impurity control, and corrosion mitigation. Therefore, the ability to predict these properties for molten salts from first-principles computations is urgently needed. Herein, we developed and compared a machine-learned neural network force field (NNFF) and a reparametrized rigid ion model (RIM) for a prototypical molten salt LiF-NaF-KF (FLiNaK). We found that NNFF was able to reproduce both the structural and transport properties of the molten salt with first-principles accuracy and classical-MD computational efficiency. Furthermore, the correlation between the local atomic structures and the dynamics was identified by comparing with RIMs, suggesting the significance of polarization of anions implicitly embedded in the NNFF. This work demonstrated a computational framework that can facilitate the screening of molten salts with different chemical compositions, impurities, and additives, and at different thermodynamic conditions suitable for the next-generation nuclear reactors and thermal energy storage facilities.

Communication Hotspots: How Infrastructure Shapes People's Health.

Informed by communication infrastructure theory (CIT) and the social capital approach to health, this study focused on the role played by communication hotspots: physical places in a community (e.g., parks, churches, or restaurants) where health information is shared between network actors. By analyzing survey data that included information about communication infrastructure, frequency of health conversations, as well as the size and diversity of respondents' social networks, this study illustrates how communication hotspots may reduce perceived barriers to healthcare among Latinas in the greater Los Angeles area (N = 780). The results suggest that communication hotspots can influence people's health by facilitating information-sharing activities. In addition, communication hotspots may reduce perceived barriers to healthcare by bringing together diverse network actors. We conclude by considering future health interventions and policy planning to leverage and enhance community members' interactions at communication hotspots.

Interventions to Mitigate COVID-19 Misinformation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic depends largely on individual and societal actions which are influenced by the quality and salience of the information to which they are exposed. Unfortunately, COVID-19 misinformation has proliferated. Despite growing attempts to mitigate COVID-19 misinformation, there is still uncertainty regarding the best way to ameliorate the impact of COVID-19 misinformation. To address this gap, the current study uses a meta-analysis to evaluate the relative impact of interventions designed to mitigate COVID-19-related misinformation. We searched multiple databases and gray literature from January 2020 to September 2021. The primary outcome was COVID-19 misinformation belief. We examined study quality and meta-analysis was used to pool data with similar interventions and outcomes. 16 studies were analyzed in the meta-analysis, including data from 33378 individuals. The mean effect size of interventions to mitigate COVID-19 misinformation was positive, but not statistically significant [d = 2.018, 95% CI (-0.14, 4.18), p = .065, k = 16]. We found evidence of publication bias. Interventions were more effective in cases where participants were involved with the topic, and where text-only mitigation was used. The limited focus on non-U.S. studies and marginalized populations is concerning given the greater COVID-19 mortality burden on vulnerable communities globally. The findings of this meta-analysis describe the current state of the literature and prescribe specific recommendations to better address the proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation, providing insights helpful to mitigating pandemic outcomes.

Evaluating the Impact of Attempts to Correct Health Misinformation on Social Media: A Meta-Analysis.

Social media poses a threat to public health by facilitating the spread of misinformation. At the same time, however, social media offers a promising avenue to stem the distribution of false claims - as evidenced by real-time corrections, crowdsourced fact-checking, and algorithmic tagging. Despite the growing attempts to correct misinformation on social media, there is still considerable ambiguity regarding the ability to effectively ameliorate the negative impact of false messages. To address this gap, the current study uses a meta-analysis to evaluate the relative impact of social media interventions designed to correct health-related misinformation (k = 24; N = 6,086). Additionally, the meta-analysis introduces theory-driven moderators that help delineate the effectiveness of social media interventions. The mean effect size of attempts to correct misinformation on social media was positive and significant (d = 0.40, 95% CI [0.25, 0.55], p =.0005) and a publication bias could not be excluded. Interventions were more effective in cases where participants were involved with the health topic, as well as when misinformation was distributed by news organizations (vs. peers) and debunked by experts (vs. non-experts). The findings of this meta-analysis can be used not only to depict the current state of the literature but also to prescribe specific recommendations to better address the proliferation of health misinformation on social media.

Suture Button Suspensionplasty in the Treatment of Carpometacarpal Arthritis: A Retrospective Analysis of One Surgeon's Experience Over 9 Years.

Purpose: Trapeziectomy with suture button suspensionplasty (SBS) to treat thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis has been proposed as an alternative to ligament reconstruction tendon interposition. There have been limited large-scale or long-term reports regarding SBS outcomes. Single-surgeon intermediate follow-up is reported. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing SBS procedures by a single surgeon. Implant manufacturer and postoperative immobilization protocol were recorded. Surgical outcomes, complications, and revision procedures were identified. Postoperative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores were collected. Results: A total of 242 SBS surgeries were included, involving 215 patients, average age 64.82 years (range, 42-86 years). Average follow-up was 35 ± 25 months. In all, 183 Arthrex and 59 Stryker systems were used, 42 of which were immobilized for 6 weeks after surgery and 200 of which were mobilized at 2 weeks afterward. Postoperative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand surveys were completed by 122 patients (57%), with an average score of 12. No scaphometacarpal abutment was reported. Thirteen complications were reported (5%), 7 of which were implant-associated (3%) and 6 of which were not (2%). Implant-associated complications consisted of 3 suture button pull-outs, 2 thumb-index metacarpal abutments, one suture tail irritation, and one index metacarpal fracture. Operative revision was required in 4 of 7 implant-associated cases and 5 of 6 non-implant associated cases. No suture button pull-outs required revision surgery. Conclusions: Results for a large series of SBS for CMC arthroplasty with intermediate follow-up revealed excellent clinical outcomes and low complication rates. Clinical relevance: Suture button suspensionplasty as an alternative to ligament reconstruction tendon interposition may be a viable option for treating thumb CMC arthritis. In addition, a technique to manage thumb-index metacarpal abutment is described.

Effectiveness of Amniotic Fluid Injection in the Treatment of Trigger Finger: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of amniotic fluid therapy injections in patients with mild to moderate trigger finger. Methods: All participants received 1 mL of amniotic fluid injected into the tendon sheath of the affected tendon. Pretreatment and posttreatment data were collected for triggering frequency, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire scores, and numerical pain rating scale scores. Results: Of 111 digits from 96 patients, 51% experienced clinically notable improvement and did not receive an alternative treatment. Average length of follow-up was 11 months. From baseline to end of follow-up, average pain score (0-10) decreased from 5.19 to 1.19 (P < .001), median triggering per day decreased from 5 to 0 (P < .001), and median DASH score (1-100) decreased from 20 to 6.03 (P < .001). There was a 50% success rate in patients with diabetes and a 52.6% success rate in digits diagnosed with concomitant Dupuytren contracture in the same hand. Conclusions: Amniotic fluid therapy injections may offer a biologic alternative for conservative treatment of trigger finger, particularly for patients with diabetes. Decreased pain, decreased triggering, and improved DASH scores offer preliminary evidence supporting the use of amniotic injections for stenosing tenosynovitis. Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic IV.

Increasing Receptivity to Messages about E-Cigarette Risk Using Vicarious-Affirmation.

Empirical research has found that self-affirmation that precedes exposure to threatening information can reduce resistance and exert a positive effect on attitudes and beliefs. However, the effortful methods currently used to induce self-affirmation (e.g., writing an essay about an important value) limit its applicability. Informed by narrative persuasion literature, we present an experimental study designed to assess the potential of vicarious-affirmation (i.e., affirmation through a relevant exemplar in a fictional story) to influence perceived risk and behavioral intent among college-age electronic cigarette users (N = 832). Similar to traditional self-affirmation, a story that affirmed its character (by winning an award) before introducing tobacco-related risk information, led to greater perceived risk and increased intentions to stop using electronic-cigarettes. Identification with the character led to more positive self-appraisal, which, in turn, reduced message derogation and enhanced perceived risk. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and applied implications of integrating narrative persuasion with self-affirmation theory.