HIV+&+ELM

 The purpose of this study is to determine the best way to reach African American youth through Public Service Announcements. The goal is to educate this specific demographic about the issue of HIV/AIDS and to analyze the impact of persuasive messages through the commercials.
 * __Does the Public Service Announcement Still Work?__**

Research indicates that Black youth are the most susceptible to HIV/AIDS. Center for Disease Control statistics tells us that “African Americans account for more AIDS diagnoses, people estimated to be living with AIDS and HIV-related deaths than any other racial/ ethnic group in the U.S…the AIDS case rate per 100,000 populations among African American adults/ adolescents was 10.4 times that of Whites in 2003…[and] a quarter of all new HIV infections every year are among people under the age of 25, and African Americans account for 56% of those infections” (190-191). Using the Elaboration Likelihood model as a guide, researchers formed 3 hypotheses about the outcome of their study. H1 hypothesized that TV HIV/AIDS PSA’s consisting of high (more) involvement message content engender personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue among Black youth. H2 hypothesized that TV HIV/AIDS PSA’s consisting of low (less) involvement message content engender personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue when the peripheral cue, character appeal, that is race and/or celebrity status, motivates Black youth to make judgments about the messages. Finally, H3 hypothesized that message involvement and character appeal operate together to promote personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue, that is, attitude change (192-193).

The study involved 59 males and 99 females from the ages of 18-25. They were all enrolled in a basic communication class at a historically black college or university. The participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group based on their class. They had to watch a series of 8 Public Service Announcements for HIV/AIDS prevention directed toward black youth and fill out a questionnaire measuring message sensitivity. For example, they had to circle a number 1-7 according to how much the PSA enticed you to pay attention to the message, concentrate on the message, put thought into evaluating the message, and if the message was relevant to your needs. They also had to circle a number 1-5 about whether they “strongly agree” or “strongly disagree” with statements like “I learned a lot from this message” and “this message changed my views” (194).

Through this study researchers used the Elaboration Likelihood Model to determine the best means to reach their target audience. They created high-involvement messages with both a Black celebrity, Nelly, and a White celebrity, Justin Timberlake. They also created low-involvement PSA’s with Black celebrity group Desitny’s Child and UNICEF’s White group Robbie Williams and Friends. There were also 4 non-celebrity PSA’s invoking both high and low-involvement and using both Black and White characters. Research proved that none of the PSA’s involving non-celebrities engendered attitude change. “Therefore, message content, whether high or low, did not spur enough cognitive processing to induce more personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue over time,” (198) thus disproving H1. H2 was supported in the character appeal celebrity status impacted attitude change. H3 was supported because message involvement and character appeal operated together to promote greater personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue supported in TV PSA content. “Results of the study indicate that celebrity status is the salient factor, with source perception inducing attitude change as a main effect or in an interaction effect with high and low message content” (198).

The most prominent implication of this study is determining how to get Black youth to take the information they are processing and apply it to real-life situations. They may be better educated about HIV/AIDs itself, as well as protection and personal responsibility, but it is a matter of getting kids to actually wear a condom and be responsible for their actions. Another limitation is that the study was done in college classrooms, therefore only using college students as participants. A major part of the demographic they are trying to reach is Black youths who probably are not enrolled in college, let alone this specific one, so impacting those other kids is another barrier that needs to be broken down.

Keys, Truman R.; Morant, Kesha M.; Stroman, Carolyn A.//. Journal of Health Communication//, Mar2009, Vol. 14 Issue 2, p189-202, 14p, 2 Charts. http://libproxy.sdsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.sdsu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=26949798&site=ehost-live
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