Influencing Public Behavior: Takeaways From Public Communication Scholarship. Quick Look
Abstract
Effective communication is a complex and fragile human process that requires strategic design, careful monitoring, and responsive adaptation (Kreps and Neuhauser, 2010). This report reviews scholarship on public communication campaigns and provides insights into six characteristics of effective communication campaigns. SUPPORTED: Communication alone is not enough to change human behavior. Other social change mechanisms (discussed in Takeaway 1) are needed to complement communication efforts. TARGETED: Communication that targets specific behavior change is more effective than communication that targets categories of behavior. COMMITTED: Effective communication campaigns are committed. TAILORED: Effective communication efforts are highly tailored. They aim at first impacting intermediate variables (such as cognitive and affective variables) before attaining behavioral objectives. MULTI-DIMENSIONAL: There is no one way of measuring communication effectiveness. Multiple dimensions of effectiveness should be considered (such as contextual, political, ideological, and definitional effectiveness). MULTI-STEP: Changing individual behavior is not always the most effective strategy. Sometimes, effective communication campaigns are multi-step: They focus on changing social norms first, and then, through social norm change, influencing individual behavior.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1118281
Entities
People
- Asya Cooley
- Robert S. Hinck
- Sara Kitsch
- Skye Cooley
Organizations
- Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
- Western Oregon University