Religion in Domestic Violence Prevention PSAs: The Role of Religiosity in Motivating Christian Bystanders to Intervene

Abstract

Domestic violence is an ongoing health issue around the world, propelling individuals and organizations to seek out new and innovative ways to mitigate its widespread reach. Focusing on the potential of religion to positively impact messaging, the current study examines how Christian symbolism might be used to encourage intervention behavior using public service announcements (PSAs). Using a between-subjects design of Christian Americans as the respondent pool, a religious symbol versus a control ad was utilized. Levels of religiosity were also measured and factors impacting the construct assessed. Findings revealed religiosity, the importance of religion in one's life, was the underlying motivator for highly religious people to act rather than a religious cue. Within religiosity, the perceived strength of faith to one's identity held greater value than church attendance and frequency of prayer. Theoretical implications are discussed as well as insights for people working in public service messaging.

Mediating roles of karma and self‐enhancement in the effect of religious and spiritual primes on bystanders' reporting intention

“…Scholars have conceptualized and measured religiosity and spirituality with insufficient attention to their differences, but previous findings show that the two belief systems are distinct (Rinallo et al, 2012). Scholars have confirmed the effectiveness of religiosity and religious cues in domestic violence prevention messages on reporting intention (e.g., La Ferle & Muralidharan, 2019;Muralidharan et al, 2018b); however, the efficacy of spirituality and spiritual cues needs more attention in advertising research, highlighting the main purpose and contribution of the current study. In other words, can religious and spiritual cues tap into bystanders' religious/ spiritual belief system and motivate them to assist victims of domestic abuse by calling the advertised helpline number.…”

“…Findings from a similar study using the theory of reasoned action as a framework show that Hindu religious symbols primed religiosity, influencing attitude toward the ad and social norms about helping and strengthening intention to call the advertised helpline (Muralidharan et al, 2018b). Using a U.S. Christian sample, La Ferle and Muralidharan (2019) found that high religiosity had a stronger positive impact than a religious cue (i.e., Christian cross) on reporting intention. Participants also rated the importance of religious affiliation to their personal identity higher than church attendance and prayer.…”

“…Psychological traits and message features are crucial in social marketing communication (Anghelcev & Sar, 2014). The aforementioned studies featured Hindu and Christian religious symbols that align with religiosity; for example, Goddess Durga is a recognizable symbol of female empowerment (Muralidharan et al, 2018a), while the Christian Cross is likely to remind Christians of the sacrifice of Christ and the importance of being a ‘Good Samaritan’ (La Ferle & Muralidharan, 2019). Religious words such as ‘devout’ and ‘Christian’ can complement the effects of visual cues, enhancing advertising persuasion (Muralidharan et al, 2018a; Muralidharan & La Ferle, 2018).…”

“…Collectively, these findings suggest (a) that religiosity is an important individual difference variable in the manifestation of prosocial behaviour and (b) that religious cues (i.e., visual or verbal) have the potential to prime religiosity in Hindus and Christians.Psychological traits and message features are crucial in social marketing communication(Anghelcev & Sar, 2014). The aforementioned studies featured Hindu and Christian religious symbols that align with religiosity; for example, Goddess Durga is a recognizable symbol of female empowerment(Muralidharan et al, 2018a), while the Christian Cross is likely to remind Christians of the sacrifice of Christ and the importance of being a 'Good Samaritan'(La Ferle & Muralidharan, 2019).…”

The role of religiosity on seeking help

“…It also elevates social wellbeing by encouraging prosociality and encompassing ethical, cooperative, and generous behavior (Norenzayan & Shariff, 2008; Norenzayan, 2013; Pichon et al, 2007; for a review, see Shariff et al, 2016). For example, religiosity is a significant factor that motivates other people to intervene in domestic violence cases (La Ferle & Muralidharan, 2019). Aligning with this line of research, studies also show that religiosity impacts social wellbeing because religious people are more likely to offer help to others in need, and thus directs valuable social resources to where they are needed the most (Hunsberger & Platonow, 1986; Will & Cochran, 1995).…”