Humor Effects in Shame-Inducing Health Issue Advertising: The Moderating Effects of Fear of Negative Evaluation

Certain health issues such as mental illness and sexually transmitted infections evoke feelings of shame, which typically causes withdrawal coping, making it challenging for campaign planners to effectively communicate pertinent information in intervention messages. In three experimental studies, humor is tested as an advertising strategy that might attenuate the negative effects of shame and increase message persuasion. As an individual factor...