Do metaphors in health messages work? Exploring emotional and cognitive factors

Do metaphors in health messages improve (intention for) self-protective behaviours?

This study manipulated a few health messages (sun danger) via metaphorical vs literal risk messages, and sun damage as enemy combat.

Extracts:

· “People regularly encounter messages encouraging lifestyle behaviors that reduce the risk of illnesses such as cancer, influenza, and diabetes. But all too frequently these messages fail to inspire action”

· “Conceptual Metaphor Theory [CMT] posits that metaphor is a cognitive tool for understanding—and not just talking about—one concept in terms of a superficially dissimilar concept … A metaphor’s target is abstract and difficult to grasp, whereas its source is relatively concrete and easily understood”

· “one might use metaphor to understand the elusive process of recovering from a cold (the target) in terms of a physical journey (e.g., “I’ve come a long way”) or escaping restraint (e.g., “It won’t let go”)”

· “Research that manipulates metaphoric framing—comparing a message with metaphoric language or imagery with an equivalent literal or alternative-metaphoric message—consistently shows changes in target processing that correspond to source knowledge”

· “for individuals who strongly fear enemy confrontation, exposure to metaphoric phrases and imagery comparing UV radiation to an aggressive sun pummeling their skin increased worry about skin cancer risk, and through this elevated worry, strengthened intentions to use sun protection”

· “But among participants who reported low enemy fear, this metaphor had the opposite effect of inducing lower levels of worry and protection intentions”

· “The current work points to metaphor use as a potential communication strategy for achieving oft-noted health-communication goals of increasing emotional potency and prevention relevance”

· “Yet it is a strategy that carries with it notable risk if not used with an overarching appreciation of relations between risk construal, prevention construal, and audience resonance”

· “People’s models of skin cancer risk, for example, are assumed to be based on their accumulated knowledge about skin cancer .. Despite its intuitive appeal and ample empirical support, this account may be incomplete”

· “A major takeaway of qualitative analyses is that metaphors in cancer discourse can be counterproductive”

· “Among the more notable findings of the present research is that matching metaphor messages did not produce more worry or stronger intentions than matching literal messages”

· “Nonetheless, the present research fires a proverbial warning shot across the bow for metaphoric (health) research by revealing conditions when metaphor can backfire”

· “Caution tempered with contextual knowledge is warranted when considering using metaphors in health messages”