When Media Health Stories Conflict: Test of the Contradictory Health Information Processing (CHIP) Model

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Psychology
• Information Science

Background:

• Uncertainty Management Theory (UMT) provides a framework for understanding how individuals manage uncertainty.
• Contradictory health information can increase uncertainty, influencing health decisions and information-seeking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a model explaining how uncertainty from contradictory health information is managed through information seeking.
• To examine the roles of perceived contradiction, issue/decision uncertainty, appraisals, emotions, and moderators in this process.

Main Methods:

• An online experiment with 763 U.S. adults randomly assigned to contradictory, non-contradictory, or control message conditions.
• Measurement of perceptions of contradiction, uncertainty, appraisals, emotions, information-seeking intentions, and moderators (information overload, intolerance for uncertainty, health self-efficacy).

Main Results:

• Perceived contradiction increased issue uncertainty, leading to cognitive appraisals and further decision uncertainty.
• Negative appraisals and threat emotions mediated the effect of uncertainty on information-seeking intentions.
• High health self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations predicted greater information seeking to manage uncertainty.

Conclusions:

• The study validates Uncertainty Management Theory and supports the CHIP model for understanding responses to contradictory health information.
• Health communication strategies should consider perceived contradiction and individual differences to effectively manage uncertainty and promote informed decision-making.