Framing, agency, and optimistic bias: message design considerations for the opioid crisis

ABSTRACT While vastly overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s deadly opioid crisis worsened dramatically in recent years. Despite the deadliness of these drugs, the lifesaving medication Narcan (a naloxone product) has saved more than 93.5% of potential victims from an overdose death. However, several factors have contributed to a lack of uptake of the medication. The current study explored message-design components for persuading individuals to 1) seek more information regarding Narcan 2) accept a coupon code for Narcan, and 3) purchase the Narcan nasal spray. Guided by the Extended Parallel Process Model, this study implemented strategic message design to see if heightened perceptions of threat (i.e. severity and susceptibility) and efficacy (self, response, and system efficacy) promote behaviour change to either seek information about or purchase Narcan. We employed three message framing techniques, including gain/loss-frame, labelling and stigmatisation through language, and linguistic assignment of agency. Based on an experimental design with 304 participants and eight message conditions, the study revealed the following: high perceptions of susceptibility and system-efficacy predicted the acceptance of a coupon code for Narcan; high perceptions of severity, susceptibility, and system-efficacy predicted information-seeking behaviour; finally, susceptibility and response-efficacy predicted an intent to own Narcan in the future.