Abstract Large scale campaigns frequently use humor to increase compliance with colonoscopy screening recommendations. Problematically, we know little about how humor functions to influence screening. This study seeks to understand whether and how messages framed using humor appeals function differently from those using fear appeals to increase colonoscopy intentions. An online experiment (N = 186) was conducted comparing colonoscopy screening messages framed with a fear appeal and mixed humor/fear appeal. The addition of humor was more effective among those with high frequency of cancer worry, whereas the fear appeal resulted in significantly higher response efficacy, which was in turn associated with increased colonoscopy intentions. These results begin to describe situations in which intervention messages framed with a mixed humor/fear appeal may be more or less effective than interventions framed with fear appeals alone. Practical and theoretical implications for persuasive message design are discussed.

中文翻译：

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什么时候可以开玩笑？在基于恐惧的结肠镜检查信息中添加幽默可能会增加依从性

摘要 大型活动经常使用幽默来提高对结肠镜筛查建议的依从性。问题是，我们对幽默如何影响筛选知之甚少。本研究旨在了解使用幽默诉求构建的信息是否以及如何与使用恐惧诉求来增加结肠镜检查意图的信息不同。进行了一项在线实验（N = 186），比较了带有恐惧诉求和混合幽默/恐惧诉求的结肠镜筛查信息。幽默感在癌症担忧频率高的人群中更有效，而恐惧诉求导致显着更高的反应效率，这反过来又与结肠镜检查意图增加有关。这些结果开始描述以混合幽默/恐惧诉求为框架的干预信息可能比仅以恐惧诉求为框架的干预更有效或更少有效的情况。讨论了说服性信息设计的实际和理论意义。