crystal blue persuasion

I am currently sitting in a dark and dingy(ish) room in the basement of Life Sciences, thinking about the Health Communications course we just had. Today, we talked about the skeleton of health communication--the various components that go into and that should be evaluated and considered when creating a health communication campaign. Perhaps the most salient topic discussed was that of the dual process persuasion theory, which my JDP classmates will remember learning about an eternity ago. (Big ups to Radmilla). Yep--systematic vs. heuristic; argument vs. cue; central vs. peripheral. The works. Despite having understood the theory's principles the first time around, it was today that I really grasped its weight and relevance to our field.

Applying this theory in the context of producing health promotion campaigns makes complete sense. In our field, we talk a lot about tailoring messages to have the best impact--almost incessantly. But I hadn't before considered the practical utility of tailoring health messages based on whether someone was likely to think about an issue centrally (i.e., systematically, effortfully) or peripherally (heuristically, using mental shortcuts). I came away from today's class realizing that it is critical to make messages relevant to the target group and to then to use either simple cues or complex arguments, depending on the cognitive approach the target individuals are using.

As I close, I am thinking about some of the (psychotherapy) clients with whom I have trouble making an impact. Perhaps part of the reason that my message does not get through to some of the folks I am working with is that I have not adequately accounted for the relevance of the topic to and/or the cognitive style of the individual. In other words, perhaps some of my clients are “cognitive misers!” With this new perspective in mind, I look forward to working with my clients on Friday--perhaps I will be able to move some folks toward much-needed change... Fingers crossed!

blogariffic

Recently, in an attempt to help my husband and me with our food-challenged selves, my wonderfully helpful/knowledgeable best friend Rose turned me on to several food blogs. There is one that I am really excited about. It is called 101 Cookbooks and the tag for the site is "Super Natural Cooking". Reading the blog last week, I became inspired--not only to cook but to cook healthful food. The site does not approach healthful eating (as many other companies, chefs, etc... do) by focusing on carbohydrate consumption, caloric intake, or low fat foods. Instead, it focuses on eating pure, natural ingredients in a balanced way, while also being delicious and gorgeous. Pretty awesome indeed!

It really drove home for me the ways in which new technology has the power to revolutionize the health of the masses. Reading food blogs allows one to check out healthy recipes in a much more inexpensive and convenient way than can be done with the traditional cookbook. The food blogs also are ever-evolving, so that you don't get into the rut of cooking that favorite recipe on page 172 of a cookbook you have had for years... Finally, they add a personal touch. Instead of learning recipes that have been through the ringer at a publishing house or a slew of producers and writers on the Food Network, these are real people, doing real cooking, who are truly passionate about it. So, check out http://101cookbooks.com/ and see how blogs are revolutionizing the way we eat.

The candidates and healthcare--a cool tool

Recently, I have been weighed down with a decision: Which presidential candidate will get my vote? Okay, okay. I have narrowed it down to just 2 (maybe 3) but the decision still feels difficult. One way that I have been able to find some important differences between the candidates is by looking at a topic I think about all the time--healthcare. I stumbled across a really cool tool put out by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It compares the healthcare platforms of the various candidates. Check it out!
http://www.health08.org/sidebyside.cfm?CFID=23686414&CFTOKEN=34215271