The Influence of Framed Messages and Self-Affirmation on Indoor Tanning Behavioral Intentions in 18-to 30-Year-Old Women

Objective: To investigate the effects of gain-and loss-framed indoor tanning (IT) prevention messages among young adult women, and examine the potential moderating effect of self-affirmation. Method: Young adult women ages 18 to 30 who reported IT at least once in the past year (n = 475) participated in an online experiment. Participants first completed assessments of IT behavior and related constructs and were randomized to either a self-affirmation manipulation or control condition. Then, participants were randomized to either a gain-framed message emphasizing the benefits of avoiding IT or a loss-framed message emphasizing the risks of IT. Participants completed outcome measures of intentions to IT, intentions to quit IT, and emotional and cognitive responses to the framed messages. Results: Compared with gain-framed messages, loss-framed messages led to weaker intentions to IT and stronger intentions to quit IT. Self-affirmation did not moderate message framing effects, but had a main effect increasing intentions to IT. Mediation analyses indicate that loss-framed messages affect IT behavioral intentions by increasing fear, and self-affirmation may have increased intentions to IT by producing defensive reactions to the framed messages. Conclusions: Loss-framed messages were more effective for reducing intentions to IT and promoting intentions to quit IT among young women after a brief exposure, and emotional response appears to be 1 pathway through which loss-framed messages affect behavioral outcomes. Messages emphasizing the risks of IT may be optimal as a public health intervention strategy. Unlike other behavioral domains, self-affirmation did not reduce defensive processing of loss-framed messages.