Citation

Welbourne JL, Hartley TA, Ott SD, Robertson S. Health Commun. 2008; 23(5): 473-482.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Texas Pan-American, Edinburg, TX 78541-2999, USA. welbournJL@utpa.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10410230802342168

PMID

18850394

Abstract

This study examined the impact of mental imagery instructions in a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) safety document conveying risk and safety information to farmers. A sample of 314 farmers recruited from a large Southeastern state fair was randomly assigned to conditions in a 2 x 2 design. Participants received a NIOSH safety document about skid steer loader safety in which 2 types of mental imagery instructions were manipulated: (a) risk-focused (imagery vs. control) and (b) recommendation-focused (imagery vs. control). Results indicate that risk-focused imagery influenced perceptions of susceptibility to workplace accidents, whereas recommendation-focused imagery influenced attitudes toward engaging in safety behaviors, intentions to share safety information with others, and perceptions of the safety message. Further analyses indicated that ease of imagery partially mediated the relationship between the imagery manipulations and these outcomes. Other potential mechanisms for these effects are discussed.

Language: en