Effects of Message Framing and Information Source on Information Recall, Trust, Source Expertise, Source Credibility, and Anticipated Consumption Behavior of an Amino Acid-Based Alternative Meat Curing System
Abstract
This study was a 2x4 randomized between-groups experiment (Mertler & Reinhart, 2017) on information recall, trust, source expertise, source credibility, and anticipated consumption behavior. The sample consisted of students attending Texas A&M University (TAMU), randomly assigned to one of eight experimental groups
(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2008). An online Qualtrics instrument was used to collect data from participants. The independent variables tested were message frame (analytical/narrative) and information source (consumer/producer/reporter/meat scientist). Information recall, trust, source expertise, source credibility, and anticipated consumption behavior were the dependent variables.
After answering a screening question to ensure the sample consisted of Generation Z students 18 years or older, participants were randomly assigned to view one of eight videos about an innovative amino acid-based alternative meat curing system (AAACS). The videos were either narratively or analytically framed. The information source in the video was either a consumer, producer, reporter, or meat scientist. After watching the video, participants were asked to recall information about the AAACS, indicate their trust toward the message, indicate the source’s expertise and credibility, and indicate their anticipated future consumption of products cured with the AAACS. At the end of the instrument, participants responded to demographic questions.
I used a two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine the experimental effects of the two independent variables on the five dependent variables, concurrently (Mertler & Reinhart, 2017). I further analyzed all statistically significant MANOVAs with a discriminant function analysis (DFA) to break down the linear combination in more detail (Field, 2018). I analyzed all data with SPSS v.28 with an a priori alpha of .05.
I used a two-way MANOVA to determine the experimental effects of the two independent variables on the five dependent variables, concurrently (Mertler & Reinhart, 2017). There was not a significant interaction effect on the combined set of dependent variables, and a significant main effect for frame was not detected. However, a significant main effect for information source was detected. The follow-up DFA revealed only one significant underlying function and that source expertise was the most powerful discriminating variable for information source.
Subject
Message framinginformation source
meat curing alternative
agriculture science communication
Citation
Chambers, Amber Vonona (2022). Effects of Message Framing and Information Source on Information Recall, Trust, Source Expertise, Source Credibility, and Anticipated Consumption Behavior of an Amino Acid-Based Alternative Meat Curing System. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /198073.