Smoking can kill you and so can the warning labels on cigarettes. Psychologists did a small study of the effects of warning labels that mention death. Apparently a reminder of death makes you feel stress. You then want to do something comforting. Naturally, you reach for a cigarette. Researchers say they'd prefer warning labels that do not mention death such as: Smoking makes you unattractive.I dug around and here's a summary of the research NPR highlighted. The study has to do with Terror Management Theory which I've written a great deal about on this blog.
...trudging into the distance in the bleeding stinking mad shadow of Jesus...the Lord out of dust had created him, had made him blood and nerve and mind, had made him to bleed and weep and think, and set him in a world of loss and fire... --Flannery O'Connor
12.10.2009
Warning: Smoking Makes You Unattractive
My wife called me this morning to alert me to this interesting story she heard on NPR. The NPR text:
Or perhaps we ought to shift the "warning: smoking can kill" labels to boxes of chocolate and cups of coffee. That way you are near a comfort source when you have that twinge of death anxiety.
ReplyDeleteaimai
right aimai:
ReplyDeletethen we can put labels on cigarettes that say: "Chocolate makes you fat." :)
Interestingly enough a lot of people smoke because it helps them keep their weight down, French Kevin, so I think the message is out on that one!
ReplyDeleteaimai
Dr. Beck,
ReplyDeleteMy older brother is a sales rep for RJ Reynolds, and I tried to explain terror management theory (in my very, very limited knowledge) over Thanksgiving when he was discussing the UK government warnings propelling sales a bit.
In the UK several years ago they started a campaign to decrease smoking and required tobacco companies to print things like SMOKING KILLS on the front of the packages. A little over a year ago, they added graphic images to the backs as well. The images can be found here, but look at your own risk. You might need a cigarette to relax afterwards. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6968580.stm
That may be true aimai, but my joke was still funny ;)
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