THREAT AND PERSUASION IN HEALTH MESSAGES ABOUT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTON: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Abstract

Information about alcohol and its consequences comes from two opposing poles. On the one hand, messages about the benefits of drinking alcohol coming from publicity, group of friends or the social milieu in general. On the other hand, the information provided by professionals and health authorities, which is based, mainly, in explaining the possible negative consequences of consumption, with the intention of reducing or controlling it. Therefore, use of threat, in different degrees, is a common resource in the communications about the risks of drinking alcohol designed for young people. Presence of threatening information, in health promotion and prevention messages, is hardly avoidable and can lead to both positive and negative results, depending on its characteristics. In consequence current models are not dealing with the dichotomy threat-not threat, but instead, are trying to determine the conditions under which threat exerts a positive effect on the adherence to message recommendations. In order for threat to increase the probability of producing a positive effect some basic conditions should be met: it needs to generate an attentional response; it must lean on in strong arguments and has to be accompanied by a recommendation perceived as effective to eliminate the risk. On the other hand, message effectiveness will also depend on other factors like use of different message styles, variation in topics and arguments to maintain attention, use of truthful and relevant information or taking into account the specific characteristics from the target group. Finally it is stressed that we have enough information about young people’s behavior, beliefs and attitudes about alcohol, and that we have useful orientations to generate more effective messages, whenever we have a clear idea of what we want to transmit to them.