The Impact of Smokers' Group-Membership and Activist Gender on Tolerance for Smoking, Receptiveness and Perceived Susceptibility to Anti-Smoking Messages, and Likelihood of Anti-Smoking Activism

摘要

Using two experiments we demonstrate that people have lower tolerance for smoking and higher anti-smoking activism likelihood when in-group versus out-group members smoke. The likelihood of anti-smoking activism toward in-group smokers was greater for men than women. Moreover, as social distance declined, men showed greater anti-smoking message receptiveness, message susceptibility and activism likelihood, whereas, women displayed no significant differences in tolerance for smoking, message receptiveness, message susceptibility, and activism likelihood. Open-ended responses indicated generally negative cognitive reactions to smokers, yet a broad unwillingness to confront them. While feelings of personal relevance and caring facilitated anti-smoking activism intentions, beliefs in the freedom of personal choice and polite interpersonal interactions hindered these intentions.