Audience Recall of AIDS PSAs Among U.S. and International College Students

Abstract

Results from an experimental study show that the audience recall of AIDS PSAs is related to message appeal types, cultural identity, and gender. PSA messages with strong emotional appeals are better remembered by college students than the rational appeal messages. The U.S. viewers recall more of the AIDS prevention messages than the international participants. Results also show that college women recall more AIDS PSA messages than college men in general, and emotional AIDS message appeals in particular. The pattern indicates an exact reversal of differences between two message-appeal types for each gender.