@article{ref1,
title="Using persuasive messages to encourage voluntary hearing protection among coal miners",
journal="Journal of safety research",
year="2005",
author="Stephenson, Michael T. and Witte, Kim and Vaught, Charles and Quick, Brian L. and Booth-Butterfield, Steve and Patel, Dimpi and Zuckerman, Cynthia",
volume="36",
number="1",
pages="9-17",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: This longitudinal field study was designed to encourage Appalachian coal miners in West Virginia and Pennsylvania to engage in hearing-protection behaviors. METHOD: Participants were mailed postcards that featured either a positive, negative, or neutral message on the outside of the postcard and a message encouraging hearing protection behaviors on the inside. The first posttest measurement of the effectiveness of the persuasive messages was conducted about a week after the postcards were mailed. The delayed posttest measurement was conducted six weeks later. RESULTS: Responses from 307 coal miners revealed that the positive or neutral messages generated significantly more self-reported hearing protection behaviors than the negative message. Identical results were obtained in a delayed posttest assessment of miners' self-reported hearing protection behaviors. The positive message was also more effective than either the neutral or negative message in preventing defensive mechanisms from emerging over time. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Positive and neutral messages were convincingly more successful than negative messages in facilitating self-reported hearing protection behaviors among coal miners. Similarly, the positive messages kept defensive processes at bay.",
language="en",
issn="0022-4375",
doi="10.1016/j.jsr.2004.09.003",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2004.09.003"
}