Meta-Analyses of the Effectiveness of Warning Labels

Abstract

The authors use a series of meta-analyses to demonstrate the impact of warning labels across five dimensions of effectiveness: attention, reading and comprehension, recall, judgments, and behavioral compliance. Subsequent moderator analyses indicate that attention is moderated by vividness-enhancing characteristics, warning location, and familiarity but not by product type. None of the moderating variables affect either reading and comprehension or recall. Product type moderates judgments, and familiarity and cost of compliance moderate behavioral compliance. The authors discuss public policy implications and avenues for further research.

Perceptions and Perceived Impact of Graphic Cigarette Health Warning Labels on Smoking Behavior Among U.S. Young Adults

“…They also speak to the importance of increasing awareness of graphic HWLs among nonsmokers to ensure a greater preventive impact among young adults when graphic labels are implemented. Awareness of a message and judgments about its merits are essential first steps in effective consumer information processing, and both are critical for message acceptance, as well as attitudinal and behavior change (Argo & Main, 2004;McGuire, 1999).…”

The security cost of cheap user interaction

“…Attention was impacted by the former three moderating variables. Finally, cost of compliance was found to impact behavioral compliance with the warning [6].…”

Fish: Friend or foe? Food policy and subpopulation warnings for consumers

“…Many researchers have examined the impact of product warning disclosures (see Argo and Main, 2004;Cox et al, 1997 andStewart andMartin, 2004 for comprehensive reviews). Products studied include durable goods (e.g., motor vehicles, appliances, and power tools) and ingested products, namely alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs.…”

“…In part, results depend upon how efficacy is measured. Argo and Main (2004) draw on information processing theory to derive five measures of disclosure efficacy: consumer attention, reading and comprehension, recall, judgments, and behavioral compliance. Several studies have found evidence of disclosure efficacy in terms of awareness; however, much research has illustrated that consumers' awareness of risk fails to translate to a change in behavior or intention (e.g., Hilton, 1993).…”

“…In general, message variables hypothesized to positively impact warning label effectiveness include: vividness-enhancing characteristics (attention-grabbing attributes of the warning that are intended to stand out, such as pictures, symbols, color, font size; e.g., Argo and Main, 2004); the use of cautionary signal words and symbols (Wogalter et al, 1987); the location of the warning message (on product verses on sign); product type (more effective on shopping goods than on convenience goods); the amount of package information or distraction (i.e., more effective with less distraction; Argo and Main, 2004;Popper and Murray, 1989) and the format in which nutrition information is conveyed (e.g., Childs and Maher, 2008 found detailed nutrition icons to be more effective than simpler approval symbols.…”