Abstract

Objective

This study examined the effect of online comments on smokers’ attitude toward trying e-cigarettes. It also explored the effect of an unobtrusive forewarning in increasing smokers’ resistance to online review fraud.

Design

739 adult smokers participated in an experiment with a 2 comment valence (supportive vs. oppositional) x 3 comment deception warning (no warning vs. early warning vs. late warning) + 1 control (no comment) factorial design. Smokers watched two e-cigarette commercials. The control group received only the ads. The treatment groups saw 10 to 12 comments following each ad.

Main Outcome Measure: E-cigarette attitude.

Results

Smokers who read supportive (M = 5.28, SD = 1.37), oppositional (M = 4.96, SD = 1.53), and no comment (M = 5.44, SD = 1.20) showed significant difference on their e-cigarettes attitude, p = .004. When the comment climate was overly in favor of e-cigarettes, warning smokers of review fraud could raise their awareness of comment deception, increase defensive processing, decrease their social identification with commenters, and eventually lower their interest in trying e-cigarettes.

Conclusion

The overall opinion climate in the form of aggregated valence of comments could sway smokers’ e-cigarette attitude. Smokers could benefit from warnings of online review fraud.

中文翻译：

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在线评论对吸烟者电子烟态度的影响：舆论氛围、评论欺诈和抗说服力

摘要

客观的

本研究调查了在线评论对吸烟者尝试电子烟态度的影响。它还探讨了不显眼的预警对增加吸烟者对在线评论欺诈的抵制的影响。

设计

739 名成年吸烟者参与了一项实验，该实验采用 2 评论效价（支持与反对）x 3 评论欺骗警告（无警告与早期警告与晚期警告）+1 控制（无评论）因子设计。吸烟者观看了两个电子烟广告。对照组只收到广告。治疗组在每个广告后看到 10 到 12 条评论。

主要指标：电子烟态度。

结果

阅读支持（M = 5.28，SD = 1.37）、反对（M = 4.96，SD = 1.53）和无评论（M = 5.44，SD = 1.20）的吸烟者对电子烟的态度存在显着差异，p = . 004. 当评论气氛过度支持电子烟时，警告吸烟者注意评论欺诈可以提高他们对评论欺骗的认识，增加防御处理，降低他们对评论者的社会认同，并最终降低他们尝试电子烟的兴趣。

结论

以评论的聚合效价形式出现的整体舆论氛围可能会影响吸烟者对电子烟的态度。吸烟者可以从在线评论欺诈警告中获益。