ABSTRACT

Relative to younger adults, older adults have a preference and memory advantage for appeals framed to focus on emotion goals (e.g., loving or caring) or positive outcomes (e.g., benefits of health behaviors). Here we examined whether combining goal (emotion vs. future) and valence framing (positive vs. negative) could optimize older adults’ appraisal and memory for health appeals. Sixty younger (ages 18–29) and 60 older (ages 64–87) adults viewed, rated and recalled one of the four versions of a health pamphlet, each with a unique combination of goal and valence framing. The results showed a memory advantage for pamphlets focusing on emotion over future goals in both age groups. Older adults also showed a more favorable appraisal and a weak memory advantage for the positively- and emotion-framed pamphlet, relative to younger adults. Thus combining goal and valence framing could optimize the effectiveness of older adults’ health appeal communication..

摘要

相对于年轻人，老年人对关注情感目标（例如，爱或关怀）或积极结果（例如，健康行为的好处）的诉求具有偏好和记忆优势。在这里，我们研究了将目标（情感与未来）和效价框架（积极与消极）相结合是否可以优化老年人对健康诉求的评估和记忆。60 名年轻人（18-29 岁）和 60 名老年人（64-87 岁）观看、评价和回忆了四个版本的健康小册子中的一个，每个版本都有一个独特的目标和效价框架组合。结果显示，在两个年龄段中，关注情感的小册子比关注未来目标的小册子具有记忆优势。与年轻人相比，老年人对积极情绪化的小册子表现出更有利的评价和较弱的记忆优势。因此，将目标和效价框架结合起来可以优化老年人健康诉求沟通的有效性。