Harrington, N. G., Helme, D. W., & Noar, S. M. (2015). Message design approaches to health risk behavior prevention. In L. M. Scheier (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent drug use prevention: Research, intervention strategies, and practice (pp. 381-396). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/14550-022
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a review and analysis of some of the major approaches to message design that have application to adolescent drug prevention efforts. Specifically, we address message sensation value, narrative messaging, message framing, and message tailoring. After describing each approach, we examine the theoretical mechanisms for message effects on important process and outcome variables. Then we consider how message design strategies have been applied to adolescent drug prevention interventions and review exemplar studies. At the end of the chapter, we consider important directions for future research and some of the challenges facing message design research. To begin, though, we provide an overview of some important message design considerations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)