This online evaluation study of anti-secondhand smoke messages investigated two related
questions. First, to what extent do different message appeals ― norm versus threat ―
have differential impacts on people from a predominantly individualistic culture compared
to people from a predominantly collectivistic culture? Second, how do country-level and
individual-level cultural orientations interact to affect attitudinal outcomes? Using a 2
(Culture: Individualism vs. Collectivism) × 3 (Message Appeals: Descriptive Norm vs.
Injunctive Norm vs. Threat) between-subjects design, the study was conducted online
among nonsmoking college students in the U.S. and South Korea. Message appeals were
tested in ads that oppose secondhand smoke, a prominent health issue in both countries.
There are two major findings. First, regardless of culture, norm appeals ― particularly
injunctive but not descriptive norm appeals ― are more effective than threat appeals on
behavioral intention. Second, people in an individualistic culture responded more
favorably to threat appeals than those in a collectivistic culture, while no clear evidence was
found on preference for norm appeals among people in a collectivistic culture. Regression
analysis produced no evidence that individual-level cultural orientations of individualism
or collectivism would affect the interactive relationship between country-level culture and
message appeals for attitude toward ad or behavioral intention.