Table 5 Believability, convincingness, and personal relevance scores by statement characteristics

Message type

Positive frame (n = 978)

3.23 (1.18)^a

3.10 (1.19)^a

2.76 (1.20)^a

Fear appeal (n = 2055)

3.15 (1.14)

3.01 (1.15)

2.68 (1.15)

Numerical evidence (n = 986)

3.05 (1.19)

2.96 (1.21)

2.63 (1.23)

Message wording

‘Increases risk of cancer’ (n = 994)

3.15 (1.19)^b

3.02 (1.18)^b

2.66 (1.23)

‘Can cause cancer’ (n = 989)

3.06 (1.19)

2.92 (1.19)

2.58 (1.22)

Cancer specificity

General (n = 1964)

3.18 (1.15)^c

3.05 (1.16)^c

2.76 (1.20)^c

Specific (n = 1817)

3.12 (1.16)

2.99 (1.16)

2.64 (1.18)