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Creating Persuasive Substance-Use Prevention Communications: The EQUIP Model

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Prevention of Substance Use

Part of the book series: Advances in Prevention Science ((Adv. Prevention Science))

Abstract

The effectiveness of media-based campaigns to discourage psychoactive substance use (PSU) has come under severe question. This chapter outlines some of the many reasons for campaign failure. These include the nonoptimal choice of theoretical framework, failure to recognize the essential relation of persuasion in prevention, necessity to overcome resistance in all persuasive contexts, and need to construct communications that take advantage of the past 70 years of evidence-based research on communication and persuasion. We argue that currently popular (grand) theories often provide useful frameworks for research, but are relatively unhelpful in specifying communications that move the frameworks from theory to actionable interventions. We argue that it is necessary to develop theories of the middle range, which inform development of effective preventive communications, and propose one such theory. Termed the EQUIP model, it specifies the features that must be a part of any communication if it is to succeed. The model requires the communicator to engage the audience, question the critical belief, undermine the expected defensive response, inform receivers of the evidence which is necessary to evoke changes in cognitions and behaviors, and finally persuade, by offering cognitive reinforcement for acceptance of proffered information and advice. The EQUIP model details the essential features of persuasive communications and facilitates creation of messages that take advantage of many years of evidence-based research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, USA

    William D. Crano, Eusebio M. Alvaro & Jason T. Siegel

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  1. William D. Crano
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  2. Eusebio M. Alvaro
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  3. Jason T. Siegel
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Correspondence to William D. Crano .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Prevention Science International, Ontario, OH, USA

    Zili Sloboda

  2. AIR, Washington, DC, USA

    Hanno Petras

  3. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Elizabeth Robertson

  4. Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, USA

    Ralph Hingson

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Crano, W.D., Alvaro, E.M., Siegel, J.T. (2019). Creating Persuasive Substance-Use Prevention Communications: The EQUIP Model. In: Sloboda, Z., Petras, H., Robertson, E., Hingson, R. (eds) Prevention of Substance Use. Advances in Prevention Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00627-3_19

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