A picture is worth a thousand words. The illustrations are a bump visual and therefore more effective. That is the theory because a group of researchers at the Universitat de les Illes Balears and the University of Granada have studied the impact of the illustrations used on boxes of cigarettes in the framework of European campaigns to prevent the consumption of snuff and is there are images that instead of producing rejection urge to light a cigar, and even others are “nice.” One of the authors of the study, Miguel Angel Munoz, explain that research has made ??clear that the images used are not powerful enough to persuade smokers to quit. In fact, the 35 images of the European campaign against snuff, most have been evaluated as neutral or unpleasant but six were considered as positive and pleasant.
This is the case, for example, the illustrations that appear ultrasound of an infant or an elderly woman’s hand. Munoz remarks that should also avoid using the image of a cigarette because it causes the smoker to feel like lighting a cigarette. “Smokers experience a craving just by seeing the image of a cigar,” he says. Experts say these pictures qualify as “nice” are less effective in achieving the goals set by EU anti-smoking campaign leading to a denial because enough respect to snuff. The experiment has had the participation of 597 people aged 13 and 44. The participants were nonsmokers and smokers, occasional and experimental. 120 images visualized volunteers, who included the European campaign against smoking, and had to qualify if the artwork was pleasant or unpleasant and if they were activated or not, that is, caused a rejection of snuff or not.
The results, says the researcher, found that women are more sensitive to the images, therefore, are the population group on which the campaign will have a greater impact. For its part, the initiative will lead to less impact among young people aged between 13 and 17 years, although considered unpleasant illustrations, describe them as less active. UIB experts and the University of Granada have come to the conclusion that anti smoking campaigns would be much more effective if they replace the images described as “nice” and “very active” by others to generate a “much bigger impact,” that is, bet on illustrations and unpleasant “scenes that give disgust.” Researchers also point out that they must consider the impact that each image can be generated in different population groups by age, gender or the habit of snuff consumption. In addition to Munoz, Pedro Montoya, Naomi Sanchez and Francisca Rossello up the Neurodynamics Research Group and Clinical Psychology UIB has worked with experts from Granada to develop the study.
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