Noncompliance with Persuasive Appeals for a Prosocial,Altruistic Act: Blood Donating1

Effects of persuasive messages, responsibility denial (RD), and attitude-accessing on blood-giving attitudes, intentions, moral obligations, and behavior were examined. In Study 1, participants (n= 84) who heard a message emphasizing moral reasons for donating indicated a more favorable postmessage attitude and stronger moral obligation to donate than participants exposed to a message aimed at reducing fear, a combined moral and fear- reduction message, or no message. Combined message participants showed greatest intent to donate, yet only 14% of all participants attended a campus drive. In Study 2, low (n= 52) and high (n= 60) RD individuals heard the message arguments and were asked to access their attitudes. Low compared to high RD individuals stated a stronger sense of moral obligation, particularly when they accessed their thoughts relevant to blood donating, and behavioral intention, especially in the combined message condition. Few participants attended a blood drive (12.5%), yet most were low RD individuals from the nonaccessed attitude condition (83%). Results suggest that few individuals will engage in the altruistic act of blood donating, despite the experimental use of persuasive messages and accessing issue-relevant attitudes.     

Diabetes and illness image: an analysis of diabetic early-adolescents' self-perception through the Draw-a-person test

To study the self-projective representations expressed by diabetic children, aged between 10 and 15 yr., and to compare these with representations of a control group the Draw-a-person test associated with those for subsequent Draw-a-sick-person were administered to 23 children regularly checked by an Antidiabetic Centre. The diabetic subjects drew an image of "sick person" having projective elements with a regressive value and denoting a refuge in the past, together with depressive signs of retiring into themselves and of less consideration of the self. Also, the diabetic children seemed to be less prone to the cultural stereotype which requires a smiling and happy image of "the healthy person." At the same time there was also a transparent symbolic defense which allowed the diabetics to adapt variously and to move from their anxious state toward psychological recovery.