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An experimental test to reveal negative side-effects of high treatability information on preventative health behaviour. Wu, Yingqiu; Dijkstra, Arie; Dalley, Simon; Roerink, Florentine Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Objectives: When the course of a disease can be positively changed by health professionals the disease can be indicated as 'highly treatable'. This 'high treatability information' (HTI) may have negative side-effects on people's preventative motivation. This study examined the effects of HTI regarding skin cancer on preventative motivation. Design: This study employed a 2 (high treatability (HTI) versus low treatability (LTI)) × 2 (high versus low susceptibility)−experiment with a hanging control group. (family) History and self-efficacy were assessed as moderators. Participants (N = 309) were randomly assigned to one of the five conditions. Main outcome measures: The main outcome was intention to engage in preventative actions regarding skin cancer. Results: HTI significantly lowered the intention compared to LTI, under the condition of high susceptibility in people with low self-efficacy. In addition, in people with a (family) history of skin cancer, HTI significantly lowered the intention compared to the no-information group. Conclusion: HTI regarding skin cancer can cause a drop in the preventative motivation. The effects can be conceptualised as negative side-effects of HTI. As substantial proportions of the general population have a (family) history of skin cancer or low self-efficacy, the side-effects may be widespread, possibly increasing the incidence of skin cancer.

Two 3(control versus LTI versus HTI) × 2(self-affirmation versus no self-affirmation)-experiments were conducted. The first study presented a news message on the treatability of bowel cancer (N = 717); the second study was about skin cancer (N = 342). The dependent variables were the intention to engage in preventive behaviors and message acceptance. The results showed that when participants were exposed to LTI, only when response efficacy was low, a self-affirmation procedure increased their intention to prevent cancer (experiment 1), and increased message acceptance (experiment 2). When participants were exposed to HTI, the self-affirmation procedure did not increase the intention, and even reduced message acceptance. The findings suggest that defensive processes were active in reaction to LTI, but not in reaction to HTI. Although publishing LTI and HTI information in the media serves legitimate goals, it may have positive but also negative unintended effects on preventive behaviors in the population.

Names have been redacted from the appendix of this article, in order to protect the identity of those involved.