Functionality of the Visual Attributes of Physical Anti-Vaping Signage in a High-Density Urban Area
Conference Year
2023
Abstract
A higher concentration of retailers near where adolescents live or go to school has been shown to correlate with increased exposure to related advertisements and adolescent tobacco and e-cigarette usage rates. This is particularly a problem in high-density urban areas because tobacco retailers tend to cluster in urban environments, resulting in increased usage rates and increased social and environmental influences on adolescent vaping initiation. Visual attributes of anti-vaping-related messaging have been studied to determine effective themes for compliance and increased visual perception, but the functionality of individual visual design attributes present in physical anti-vape signage in these areas remains largely unstudied. This paper examines the functionality of visual attributes in physical anti-vaping-related signage located within a high density urban area through a pilot study in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Research strategies used include an ArcGIS analysis, a photographic walking data collection, and a visual content analysis. The study found that anti-vaping-related physical signage primarily made use of ambiguous or punitive language and design components that have the potential to hinder attention and compliance with the sign’s message, particularly among adolescent populations. The findings suggest that design composition of physical anti-vaping-related signage has remained largely neglected in research and practice. Further research on this topic should explore other high-density urban areas to compare existing physical signage in different locations and use human subjects to measure the impact of individual design components on attention and reactance
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Thomas DeSisto
Secondary Mentor Name
Sarah Williamson
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Second Student College
Patrick Leahy Honors College
Program/Major
Public Communication
Primary Research Category
Social Science
Functionality of the Visual Attributes of Physical Anti-Vaping Signage in a High-Density Urban Area
A higher concentration of retailers near where adolescents live or go to school has been shown to correlate with increased exposure to related advertisements and adolescent tobacco and e-cigarette usage rates. This is particularly a problem in high-density urban areas because tobacco retailers tend to cluster in urban environments, resulting in increased usage rates and increased social and environmental influences on adolescent vaping initiation. Visual attributes of anti-vaping-related messaging have been studied to determine effective themes for compliance and increased visual perception, but the functionality of individual visual design attributes present in physical anti-vape signage in these areas remains largely unstudied. This paper examines the functionality of visual attributes in physical anti-vaping-related signage located within a high density urban area through a pilot study in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Research strategies used include an ArcGIS analysis, a photographic walking data collection, and a visual content analysis. The study found that anti-vaping-related physical signage primarily made use of ambiguous or punitive language and design components that have the potential to hinder attention and compliance with the sign’s message, particularly among adolescent populations. The findings suggest that design composition of physical anti-vaping-related signage has remained largely neglected in research and practice. Further research on this topic should explore other high-density urban areas to compare existing physical signage in different locations and use human subjects to measure the impact of individual design components on attention and reactance