The influence of communicator-recipient similarity upon the beliefs and behavior of pregnant women

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of communicator-recipient similarity and verbal communication upon the attitudes and behavior of pregnant women. Similarity was varied on two dimensions, pregnancy and color; and these factors were crossed with three communication conditions: (1) information on the advantages of rooming-in and breast feeding; (2) information combined with personal endorsement; and (3) no-information control. Both a pilot study and the main experiment showed no important differences in the amount of attitude change or behavioral compliance between the communication conditions. There were also no significant differences in attitude change as a function of similarity in pregnancy. However, a significantly higher proportion of mothers breast fed and roomed-in when the communicator was pregnant and similar than when she was nonpregnant and dissimilar. Similarity in color had no effect upon attitudes or behavior for the topic of rooming-in. But when the communicator was dissimilar in color there was significant negative change in attitudes toward breast feeding. Similarity in color also increased breast feeding. Attitudes and actions were related; mothers with initially favorable attitudes were more likely to comply for both issues. But with only one exception, attitude change was unrelated to behavioral compliance. The results are discussed in terms of visible similarity as a source of information or cues for action. © 1972.

18 citations (Crossref) [2023-10-31] Citation Key Alias: lens.org/112-126-262-556-629 tex.type: [object Object]