Anti-Drug campaign - Stoptober

• What are anti-drug campaigns?

  > health psychologists work with other professionals to share important messages

  > encourage positive behaviour changes
• What are the psychological strategies used?

  1. identification

  2. emotional appeal

  3. hovland-yale model of persuasion

  4. fear arousal
• What is identification?


  > role models of a higher status who have quit smoking are used

  > observer will imitate (ARRM)
• What is an emotional appeal?

  > positive tone

  > humorous to emphasise

  > doesn't use scare tactics

  > health benefits subtly mentioned
• What is the Hovland-Yale model of persuasion?

  a. source: person presenting should be credible

  b. message: presents pros + cons but comes to a definitive conclusion

  c. audience: tailor message to audience
• What is fear arousal?

  > messages include graphic/emotive images

  > cause people to worry

  > people are more likely to accept health recommendations

  > others dismiss the message is it being unlikely to happen to them
• What is stoptober?


  > introduced in 2012 by public health england

  > runs annually in october

  > encourages smokers to not smoke a cigarette for 28 days

  > if a smoker succeeds they are 5 times more likely to stop for good
• How does stoptober have a multi-media approach?

  > it uses TV ads, social media, physical support pack, app, messages, emails and posters
• Does stoptober work?


  > 250,000 take part each year

  > 50,000 are smoke free after 1 year
• How does stoptober have an inclusive feeling?

  > it has a wide audience

  > feel apart of a bigger group who share the same goal
• How does stoptober use the strategies?

  > identification: use celebrities like Gemma Collins

  > emotional approach: use humor to spread messages

  > hovland-yale model: coming from NHS so it is a credible source
• PARAGRAPH 1

  AO1

  - what are anti-drug campaigns

  - identification

  AO2

  - stoptober uses role models being celebs (gemma collins)

  AO3

  + Bandura: imitation of role models being aggressive, supports identification

  - Hume: celebrity involvement can overshadow the message, celebrity could prevent people from relating
• PARAGRAPH 2


  AO1

  - emotional appeal

  - Hovland-Yale model

  AO2

  - stoptober uses humorous annotates

  - stoptober uses NHS which is a credible source

  AO3

  + accessibility: recommnended via NHS means it is free, free campaign for anyone

  - long time: 28 days, addict may struggle to commit. Only 50,000 stay abstinent
• PARAGRAPH 3

  AO1

  - fear arousal

  AO2

  - stoptober avoids fear arousal

  AO3

  + hammond: graphic images on cigarette packs are more likely to change smoker behviour than written warnings

  - Research is mixed: people feel that everything has a risk and that the risk is unlikely to happen to them
• CONCLUSION


  AO3

  + no social control: smoker is in full control of their actions with support alongside

  - reductionist: only focuses on quitting, ignores any psychological causes of smoking (e.g. A1 variant)