Perceived effectiveness of international AIDS campaigns

Abstract

In order to establish guidelines as to the effectiveness or noneffectiveness of AIDS education strategies on television this study investigates the responses of high and low risk viewers to 21 public service announcements on AIDS. The 21 films prepared in Canada Denmark Norway Sweden the UK and the US were videotaped and shown to an audience of 57 Canadian viewers. The audience was composed of high risk (male homosexual) and low risk (heterosexual) viewers. Using the electronic push-button apparatus of the Program Evaluation Analysis Computer system the viewers recorded their moment by moment perceptions of the material presented as good or poor on a scale of 1-5. The films were to be rated on 2 measures of effectiveness: whether they were convincing and persuasive from 1 moment to the next and whether they would be useful in educating people about AIDS. 5 of the films were ranked highly on both measures of perceived effectiveness. These included 2 Norwegian 2 US and 1 British film. Features that made a film effective were simple and straightforward presentation of hard facts sincerity and humor. Features that caused a film to be rated ineffective were emotionality preachiness eye-catching padding and wooden acting. Unfortunately due to disagreements on the part of governments or broadcasters or both as to the kinds of controversial materials that should be shown on television 3 of the 5 most effective films have never been sanctioned for general broadcast use and the films perceived as least effective have been frequently broadcast in their countries.