The Mediating Role of Perceived Descriptive and Injunctive Norms in the Effects of Media Messages on Youth Smoking
Abstract
This research advances and tests a normative mediation model of media effects on youth smoking. The model predicts that exposure to various types of smoking-related media messages, including anti-smoking ads, cigarette ads, and smoking scenes in movies and television shows, exerts indirect effects on youth smoking intentions through the mediation of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms. Analysis of the data from the 3rd Legacy Media Tracking Survey offers general support for the proposed model with some unexpected findings, revealing a complex picture of media influence on youth smoking via normative and non-normative mechanisms. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
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Subjects frequently form perceptions of descriptive norms by inferring them from observing others, their comments, and the media, not only from direct summary information.
“Indeed, or other research found that subjects frequently form perceptions of descriptive norms by inferring these norms (often incorrectly) from simply observing others, their comments, and the media (for example, advertisements suggesting pervasiveness of smoking, or drinking; Borsari and Carey [2003]; Nan and Zhao [2016]; Liu and Shi [2019]).”
From Science Communication and the Problematic Impact of Descriptive Norms (2023) · cites this paper as Nan and Zhao [2016]
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- Authors
- Nan, X., & Zhao, X.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- George Mason University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Nan, Xiaoli
- Venue
- Journal of Health Communication
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-07-30
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 56-66
- ISSN
- 1081-0730 (ISSN-L)
- 1087-0415
- OpenAlex
- W1904227722
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health Communication (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- adolescent smoking, anti-smoking advertising, cigarette advertising, smoking intention, media influence on smoking
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Advertising, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Mass Media, Models, Psychological, Motion Pictures, Smoking, Social Perception, Television, Intention, Social Norms
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