COMICS AND MORALS: COMMUNICATING THE RISKS OF VAPING TO YOUNG ADULTS THROUGH MORALIZED GRAPHIC COMICS

Abstract

In 2020, the global population of e-cigarette users reached 68 million (Jerzyński et al., 2021), with adults aged 18 to 29 more likely to use them than older individuals (Lin et al., 2022). The increasing prevalence of vaping among young adults is a pressing public health issue. The rapid adoption of e-cigarettes has surpassed the spread of evidence-based information, posing challenges for health educators and policymakers. As nicotine addiction threatens a new generation through vaping, developing effective communication strategies that resonate with this demographic is urgent. This dissertation explores the effectiveness of graphic comics with moralized narratives in conveying the risks associated with vaping, aiming to examine their persuasive power compared to traditional methods. It seeks to answer three main questions: Firstly, what is the efficacy of graphic comics as a persuasive tool according to existing research? Secondly, how do graphic comics influence young adults’ responses to anti-vaping messages compared to text-only messages? Thirdly, how do moral appeals influence young adults’ responses to anti-vaping messages compared to non-moral appeal messages? In Study 1, I conducted a systematic review examining the effectiveness of graphic comic-based messages on persuasion outcomes. Eleven articles using randomized controlled trials published from 2007 to 2023 were analyzed. Graphic comics emerged as a dynamic and effective tool for health education, addressing a wide range of topics, audiences, and objectives. Their ability to combine visual appeal with narrative depth allows for a unique engagement with health issues that transcend traditional educational barriers. Study 2 examined the efficacy of utilizing moral appeals in graphic comics to communicate the risk of vaping to young adults. I conducted a 3 (moral appeals: care, sanctity, non-moral appeal) x 2 (communication formats: graphic comics vs. text-only) between-subjects online experiment among young adults aged between 18 to 25 years old (N = 596). Results showed that care and sanctity moral appeal messages elicited stronger negative emotional reactions than those without a moral appeal, which positively influenced individuals’ perceptions of message effectiveness and heightened their beliefs about the risk of vaping. When comparing sanctity and non-moral appeals, such effects were found to elicit stronger negative attitudes toward vaping which decreased intentions to vape in the future. Furthermore, I found that individuals’ endorsement of care moral foundations moderated the effect of sanctity appeals on negative emotions, highlighting complex dynamics in processing information and how individuals’ perceptions and beliefs can be influenced by their existing moral values. Although graphic comic stimuli did not show a statistically significant direct effect on negative emotions when compared to text-only messages, they positively impacted satisfaction with the message and perceived argument strength. This dissertation provides several theoretical and practical implications. First, it enhances our understanding of moral appeals by examining their role not just as simple emotional triggers but as complex frameworks that influence persuasive outcomes. The finding of the experimental study is empirical evidence of the propositions in the Moral Foundations Theory by showing how moral appeals can influence perceptions of the message’s effectiveness and beliefs about the health risks of vaping, by engaging individuals on emotional levels. Such perceptions and beliefs are likely to enhance individuals’ thoughts of vaping being negative and less socially acceptable, which lowers their intentions to vape in the future. This dissertation is also the first to utilize moral appeals in the medium of graphic comics in vaping prevention among young adults, providing new avenues for health educators and commercial advertisers to craft innovative anti-vaping messages and to foster a community ethos that discourages vaping. As we continue to explore and understand these dynamics, the findings suggest the use of graphic comics could be more widely adopted in public health campaigns, providing an engaging way to communicate risks and encourage healthy behaviors.