Parents' evaluation of differently framed ads promoting children's physical activity

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) messages are more or less effective depending on the gain, loss, mixed, or neutral frame of the information presented. Whether the frame of a message promoting children's physical activity impacts parents' support of their children's PA is unknown. As a first step to addressing this research gap, this study examined parents' evaluations of differently framed, publically available children's PA advertisements. Moms (n= 110) and dads (n= 125) with at least one child aged 8-13 yrs viewed 4 ads (gain-, loss-, mixed-, and neural-framed). Following each video they completed measures of ad effectiveness including message involvement, message believability, attitudes towards the messages and attitudes towards the ads as a whole. Within-participant ANOVAs with bonferroni post hoc tests indicated that parents were less involved with the loss-framed ad and considered it less believable than all other ads, ps < 0.05. The gain-framed ad was considered more believable than the neutral frame ad, p < 0.05. Additionally, participants' attitudes towards the gain- and neutral-frame ads were more positive compared to the loss- and mixed-frame ads, ps < 0.001. These findings suggest that parents consider gain- and neutral-framed messages more effective than loss-framed messages. Whether these perceptions translate to changes in social cognitions and behaviours related to parents supporting their children's PA remains to be determined.

Acknowledgments: Research support: SSHRC, CIHR Graduate Fellowships, Canada Research Chair Program