Effects of vlogger race on perceived credibility, self-efficacy and behavioral intentions towards weight lossMengmeng Tang May 2016

Study Inspiration Popularity of Weight Loss in the US

57% of American women want to lose weight (Brown, 2013).

Social Media as a supportive community 5,920,000 results of “how to lose weight” in YouTube search 555,000 results of “how to lose weight, vlog” in YouTube search

Trends in Weight Loss Vlogs Most weight loss blogs and vlogs are owned by White American women

(Diet-to-go, 2013; Healthline, 2015; Shape Magazine, 2015)

RQ: How does vlogger race affect audience’s attitudes, self-efficacy and behavioral intentions when attempting to lose weight?

Prior Literature The Elaboration Likelihood ModelElaboration Likelihood (Petty, Barden, & Wheeler,

2009; Petty & Cacioppo, 1986).

The central route to persuasion The recipient has both the motivation and the

ability to think carefully

The peripheral route to persuasion The recipient uses simple cues and mental

shortcuts to process information

Prior literature Spokesperson effectsCharacteristics of the spokesperson can affect how people

process a message, either via central or peripheral route.Expertise

Expert sources are perceived as more credible (Ohanian, 1991), and more effective in changing attitudes and behaviors (Gotlieb & Sarel, 1991; Heesacker, Petty, & Cacioppo, 1983; Homer & Kahle, 1990).

Race Racially congruent spokespersons increase elaboration (Appiah,

2001; Whittler, 1991; Whittler & DiMeo, 1991). Past research focuses on Black vs. White, advertising context Moderated by audience ethnic identity (Green, 1991; Whittler, 1991).

Prior literature Behavior ChangeTheory of Planned Behavior

Behavior is an outcome of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 2002).

Self-Efficacy and Social Cognitive Theory Self-efficacy is “the beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the

courses of action required to produce given levels of attainments.” (Bandura, 1998, p. 624)

Self-efficacy is obtained from past performance, verbal persuasion, emotional cues, and vicarious experience(Bandura, 1997).

The unique issues with weight control The beliefs in one’s abilities to control weight through weight-control

strategies People with high self-efficacy in weight control are more likely to successfully

lose weight (Choo & Kang, 2014; Dennis & Goldberg, 1996; Kitsantas, 2000)

HypothesesH1: Participants who watch a racially

congruent (RC) vlogger will report greater (message and source) credibility, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions, compared to those who watch a racially incongruent (RI) vlogger. H1a: Participant race will moderate the effect of race

congruency. This effect will be stronger for Asian American participants.

H1b: Participant race and ethnic identity will moderate the effect of race congruency. This effect will be stronger for Asian American participants with high ethnic identity and White American participants with low ethnic identity.

H1c: Vlogger expertise will moderate the effect of race congruency. This effect will be stronger for participants who watch a health vlogger.

HypothesesH2: Message credibility will mediate the

effect of race congruency on behavioral intentions. H2a: Message credibility will mediate the effect of

the 2-way interaction (race congruency, participant race)on behavioral intentions.

H2b: Message credibility will mediate the effect of the 3-way interaction (race congruency, participant race and ethnic identity) on behavioral intentions.

H2c: Message credibility will mediate the effect of the 2-way interaction (race congruency, vlogger expertise) on behavioral intentions.

HypothesesH3: Self-efficacy will mediate the effect of

race congruency on behavioral intentions. H3a: Self-efficacy will mediate the effect of the 2-

way interaction (race congruency, participant race)on behavioral intentions.

H3b: Self-efficacy will mediate the effect of the 3-way interaction (race congruency, participant race and ethnic identity) on behavioral intentions.

H3c: Self-efficacy will mediate the effect of the 2-way interaction (race congruency, vlogger expertise) on behavioral intentions.

Methodology2X2 cross-sectional, between-subject, posttest-

only experimental design

Stimuli A pretest guided the selection of spokespersons Video production

Racially congruent (RC)

Racially incongruent (RI)

Health VloggerFashion Vlogger

Methodology2X2 cross-sectional, between-subject, posttest-

only experimental design Stimuli

A pretest guided the selection of spokespersons Video production

Participants and procedure (N = 98) Participants were recruited online via Amazon

Mturk Completed demographic information Viewed Video Completed Measures

MethodologyMeasures and scale reliability

Variable Cronbach’s AlphaAttitude towards exercising .65Attitude towards dieting .56Attitude towards drinking water .50Behavioral intention towards exercising .78Behavioral intention towards dieting .92Behavioral intention towards drinking water Single itemSelf-efficacy towards exercising .84Self-efficacy towards dieting .86Self-efficacy towards drinking water .64Source credibility .91Message credibility .88Ethnic identity .83

Results & Discussion

Preliminary Results Manipulation check

Vlogger face confirmation Vlogger expertise confirmation

Group difference in variables (see Table 4.2) A>W Behavioral intention towards dieting (p = .071) A>W Ethnic identity (p < .001)

Correlation between variables (see Table 4.3) Behavioral intentions towards exercising and dieting (r = .25, p = .012) Self-efficacy towards exercising and dieting (r = .61, p < .001) Source credibility and message credibility (r = .57, p < .001)

Main effect of vlogger expertise on message credibility Participants who watched a health vlogger reported marginally

significant greater message credibility compared to those who watched a fashion vlogger (p = .083).

H1: RC will result in greater credibility, self-efficacy and BI H1: Participants who watched a racially congruent

vlogger reported marginally significant greater source credibility compared to those who watched a racially incongruent vlogger, (p = .062). Race congruency did not affect message credibility, self-

efficacy and behavioral intentions.

H1a: The interaction of race congruency and participant race predicted… Message credibility (p = .049), behavioral intention towards

exercising (p = .09), and dieting (p = .051). Asian American participants reported significantly greater

message credibility and behavioral intentions after watching a racially congruent vlogger.

White American participants reported significantly greater behavioral intentions after watching a racially incongruent vlogger.

H1: RC will result in greater credibility, self-efficacy and BIH1b: The interaction of race congruency,

participant race and ethnic identity predicted… self-efficacy towards exercising (p = .02), and

dieting (p = .03). The effects of H1a were only present for participant

with low ethnic identity.

H1c: The interaction of race congruency and vlogger expertise marginally predicted behavioral intention towards exercising (p = .085). Participants in racially congruent group reported

marginally significant greater behavioral intention towards exercising after watching a fashion vlogger compared to a health vlogger.

H2: Message credibility will mediate RC on BIH2a: Message credibility mediated the effect of

the 2-way interaction (race congruency, participant race) on behavioral intentions.

H2, H2b, H2c could not be tested because race congruency, the 3-way interaction (race congruency, participant race, participant ethnic identity), and the 2-way interaction (race congruency, vlogger expertise) failed to predict message credibility in the first place.

H3: Self-efficacy will mediate RC on BIH3, H3a, H3c could not be tested because race

congruency, the 2-way interaction (race congruency, participant race), and the 2-way interaction (race congruency, vlogger expertise) failed to predict self-efficacy in the first place.

H3b could not be tested because the 3-way interaction (race congruency, participant race, participant ethnic identity) did not predict behavioral intentions.

DiscussionThe findings were in line with past

research… Race congruency between vlogger and audience

resulted in better evaluations for Asian American participants.

This effect was stronger for Asian American participants with low ethnic identity.

People from minority ethnic groups are more receptive and attentive to the cue of source race (Arpan, 2002).

Vlogger race functions as a cue of expertise.

DiscussionThe findings were novel…

Race incongruence between vlogger and audience resulted in better evaluations for White American participants.

This effect was stronger for White American participants with low ethnic identity.

Why might this be… Model minority myth stereotype (Cheryan & Monin,

2005) Perceived expertise in health (Min & Jang, 2015) People with low ethnic identity are more open to other

cultures and susceptible to stereotypes of other races (Appiah, 2002).

DiscussionThe finding was novel…

The current study identified the underlying mediation mechanism between spokesperson race and audience’s behavioral intentions.

The interaction of race congruency and participant race first affected message credibility, which then affected behavioral intentions.

Source race functioned as a central processing cue.

Implications of the current studyA novel form of inter-racial communicationsSpokesperson effect in the interactive media

environment Spokesperson race as expertise