Does providing information on narcotics lead to a positive attitude towards smoking? Considerations of the principle of perceptual contrast

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of perceptual contrast on smoking attitudes by providing information about narcotics to individuals. A semi-experimental method was used with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. 45 smokers and 45 non-smokers were purposefully selected as samples from male undergraduate and graduate students of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran and Allameh Tabatabai universities. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used. Participants were divided into two groups of smokers and non-smokers, based on the results of the smoking addiction questionnaire. Then, each group was randomly divided into three groups including text intervention, film intervention, and control. The participants in the experimental groups received information during three sessions, but the control group did not. Information was provided to the experimental groups in the form of text intervention (a printed text) and film intervention (a documentary film). At the first and end of the intervention, participants’ attitudes toward smoking were reassessed, and two weeks later, to follow up on results. Then, the obtained data were analyzed through Mixed Anova. The research findings showed that the presentation of information about drugs, by establishing perceptual contrast made attitudes toward smoking positive. The differences between smoking and non-smoking and the difference between experimental groups (film and booklet) was significant. The result was confirmation about the principle of perceptual contrast, that means providing information about drugs, according to the principle of perceptual contrast, creates a more positive attitude towards smoking. This change in attitude remained almost stable over time and was confirmed in both groups of smokers and non-smokers and in both groups of intervention with booklet and intervention with film. Attitude change is done because compared to the information that states the harms of drugs, the harms of smoking are less important, and therefore the person's attitude towards smoking becomes more positive.