(Non)Compliance with disease prevention and control messages: communication correlates and psychological predictors

Abstract

This article argues that while compliance with disease prevention and control messages should be high given the unique characteristics of this persuasive situation, the data indicate that non compliance is a major social problem. Two communication theories, Language Expectancy Theory and Reinforcement Expectancy Theory, offer promising new conceptualizations of how more compliance can be obtained with health-related messages. Both theories are supported by empirical evidence. Also, ongoing research programs with three psychological predictors (misanthropy, acculturation and sensation-seeking) show promise in providing evidence on how to tailor health-related, compliance-gaining messages to subgroups within the general population.