Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Messages Go Down: Using Stories and Vicarious Self-Affirmation to Reduce e-Cigarette Use

Abstract

While prior research has demonstrated the benefits of self-affirming individuals prior to exposing them to potentially threatening health messages, the current study assesses the feasibility of inducing self-affirmation vicariously through the success of a character in a narrative. College-age participants who regularly use e-cigarettes (N = 379) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (vicarious affirmation, vicarious control, traditional affirmation, traditional control). The vicarious conditions read one of two versions of a story depicting a college student of their own gender. The versions were identical except in the vicarious self-affirmation condition (VSA), the main character achieves success (i.e., honored with a prestigious award) before being confronted by a friend about the dangers associated with their e-cigarette use; whereas in the vicarious control condition, the achievement is mentioned after the risk information. Results of the posttest and 10-day follow-up demonstrated that VSA mimicked the underlying mechanisms of traditional self-affirmation, reducing messages derogation, and increasing self-appraisal and perceived risk. The effect of VSA on e-cigarette outcomes was moderated by frequency of use, with heavier users benefiting the most. Theoretical and practical implications for tobacco regulatory science are discussed.