This study examined the behavioral effects of attitude change induced by a communication. Teenagers were exposed to two communications concerning diabetes. These differed in the intensity (high and moderate) with which they presented diabetes as a serious disease which teenagers could contract along with the benefits of diagnostic diabetes tests. Attitudes concerning diabetes were assessed and subjects were offered a diabetes diagnostic test. Results showed that the subject's perception of vulnerability toward the disease affected his participation in the test. The communication altered general attitudes about diabetes but failed to change any of the underlying components constituting this attitude.
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