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Effects of Messages About Genetics, Race, and Health on Public Opinion University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2009 Effects of Messages About Genetics, Race, and Health on Public Opinion About Personalized Medicine and Health Policy Jocelyn Landau University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Health Communication Commons, and the Social Influence and Political Communication Commons Recommended Citation Landau, Jocelyn, "Effects of Messages About Genetics, Race, and Health on Public Opinion About Personalized Medicine and Health Policy" (2009). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 60. http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/60 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/60 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Effects of Messages About Genetics, Race, and Health on Public Opinion About Personalized Medicine and Health Policy Abstract Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, knowledge about the genetic basis of many traits and common diseases has increased substantially (Kessler et al., 2007). As progress in the field of genetics continues to occur at a rapid pace, there is growing concern about the social and ethical consequences of these advances. One area of concern that merits more empirical research is the impact of messages linking genetic traits with racial differences. Research in this area is important because recent studies have shown that casting race as a biological marker can provide justification for a racially inequitable status quo and for the continued social marginalization of historically disadvantaged groups (Williams & Eberhardt, 2008). At the same time, most of the U.S. public is at the early stages of forming beliefs and attitudes about genomics, and the media are largely influential in citizens’ awareness and understanding of genetics (Smith, 2007). This dissertation examines the effects of messages about genetics, race, and health on public opinion about personalized medicine and health policy. A series of three experiments embedded in online surveys were used to assess the impact of racial cues and controllability attributions on audience’s opinions about current health topics and policies related to personalized medicine and genetics. Results provide evidence that racial cues and controllability attributions in health messages are consequential in shaping public opinion about genetics and medicine, as well as related policy preferences. Messages about medical advances related to genetics may raise issues of trust and acceptance among minority groups, while in-group racial cues may mitigate these concerns. Framing health risks as either controllable (behavioral) or uncontrollable (genetic) influences peoples’ opinions, causal attributions for disease, and health policy preferences. These effects were also conditioned by relevant background variables, including education, political ideology, and racial attitudes. The findings support the idea that information about genetics, race, and health function within an intricate structure of attitudes and beliefs (Condit & Bates, 2005). Implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research are proposed. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Communication First Advisor Dr. Joseph Cappella Second Advisor Dr. Michael Delli Carpini This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/60 Third Advisor Dr. Vincent Price Keywords Public Opinion, Genetics, Health Policy, News Media, Message Effects, Personalized Medicine Subject Categories Health Communication | Social Influence and Political Communication This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/60 EFFECTS OF MESSAGES ABOUT GENETICS, RACE, AND HEALTH ON PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AND HEALTH POLICY Jocelyn Landau A DISSERTATION in Communication Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2009 _____________________________ Supervisor of Dissertation _____________________________ Graduate Group Chairperson Dissertation Committee: Dr. Michael Delli Carpini Dr. Vincent Price Dr. Joseph Cappella EFFECTS OF MESSAGES ABOUT GENETICS, RACE, AND HEALTH ON PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AND HEALTH POLICY COPYRIGHT Jocelyn Landau 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On more than one occasion, I compared the process of writing this dissertation to a rollercoaster ride. The experience included several ups and downs, unexpected turns, and a mixture of feelings that varied from excitement to trepidation. Many people rode alongside me on this journey, and I am happy for the opportunity to acknowledge them. I am indebted to my academic advisor and Committee Chair, Dr. Joseph Cappella, for his guidance and thoughtful feedback on my work. Dr. Cappella‘s insightful comments and questions challenged me to become a better researcher and scholar. I learned more in the past twelve months than I ever imagined possible. I also greatly benefited from working with my committee members, Dr. Michael Delli Carpini and Dr. Vincent Price. Dean Delli Carpini offered support and encouragement throughout graduate school, and has shown by example that learning is as much about listening as it is about asking questions. Dr. Price illustrated for me the art of survey questionnaire design, and his seminar on public opinion research largely influenced my subsequent work as a graduate student. Each of my committee members offered unique perspectives on my research, and I have benefited tremendously from working with such an accomplished group of individuals. This research was supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by grant #R01HG004318 (Dr. Joseph Cappella, PI). I am also grateful to the Annenberg School for Communication, especially to Walter and Leonore Annenberg for generously endowing the Annenberg School for Communication and establishing a remarkable place of learning. My earliest experiences iii at Annenberg were as an undergraduate majoring in communication at the University of Pennsylvania. My first undergraduate communication class was Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson‘s Introduction to Political Communication. I was immediately hooked on the subject matter, and signed up to major in communications shortly thereafter. I am thankful to have worked with and learned from Dr. Jamieson, and I am glad that her undergraduate course set me on this academic trajectory. Professor David Eisenhower also greatly influenced my decision to return to Annenberg as a graduate student. Throughout college and since, Professor Eisenhower has been a wonderful mentor and friend. I am also thankful to Professor Monroe Price for giving me the opportunity to work and study abroad at Central European University in Budapest, and for challenging me to think globally about my research. In addition, I would like to thank Beverly Henry and Joanne Murray for their tireless efforts on behalf of graduate students at Annenberg. My colleagues at the Annenberg School have been the source of countless interesting discussions, academic support, and lighthearted fun. I would especially like to thank Rebekah Nagler, Brittany Griebling, Mike Serazio, Sarah Vaala, Shawnika Hull, Ken Winneg, Lee Shaker, Lauren Feldman, Emily Thorson, Matt Lapierre, Cabral Bigman, Young Min Baek and Ashley Sanders-Jackson for their friendship and encouragement. I also walked through each phase of graduate school with support from members of my cohort at Annenberg, including Jessica Taylor-Piotrowski, Susana Ramirez, Derek Freres, Lokman Tsui, Robin Stevens, Magdalena Wojcieszak and Susan Haas. iv Most of all, I am forever grateful to my family for their steadfast encouragement through all of my endeavors. My parents are my greatest fans and supporters, and I owe every accomplishment to them. I am so lucky to have my sister Shana, the best advice- giver and confidant; she is both a mentor and role-model for me. My fiancé, Scott Palmer, has been with me through every step of graduate school and this dissertation, and his support and love have been invaluable to me. As I conclude this dissertation and my graduate degree, I am closing an important chapter in my life and looking forward to what the future holds. v ABSTRACT EFFECTS OF MESSAGES ABOUT GENETICS, RACE, AND HEALTH ON PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AND HEALTH POLICY Author: Jocelyn Landau Supervisor: Joseph Cappella Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, knowledge about the genetic basis of many traits and common diseases has increased substantially (Kessler et al., 2007). As progress in the field of genetics continues to occur at a rapid pace, there is growing concern about the social and ethical consequences of these advances. One area of concern that merits more empirical research is the impact of messages linking genetic traits with racial differences. Research in this area is important because recent studies have shown that casting race as a biological marker can provide justification for a racially inequitable status quo and for the continued social marginalization of historically disadvantaged groups (Williams & Eberhardt, 2008). At the same time, most of the U.S. public is at the early stages of forming beliefs and attitudes about
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