The Gift of Life:

Current Organ Donation Attitudes and Persuasive Messages

Julie BalzariniNicole Federico

Allison O’DonnellKelly Re

Villanova University

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

The Facts Currently 109, 935 are waiting to

receive organs

Between January and August of 2010 only 9,729 people donated

19 people will die every day waiting for an organ

www.UNOS.org

Two Questions Arise

Why is this number so large?

Why aren’t more people organ donors?

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

Previous Research

Attitudes

Media Influence

Types of Messages

Research Questions & Hypotheses

RQ1: Why aren’t Villanova undergraduates organ donors?

H1: The most common reason why Villanova undergraduates are not organ donors is that they do not have enough information to make an educated decision. 

RQ2: Why are Villanova undergraduates organ donors? 

H2: The most common reason why Villanova undergraduates are organ donors is that they want to save lives. 

Research Question & Hypotheses

RQ3: What is the relationship between attitudes toward registering as a donor and actually registering?

 H3:  There will be a positive relationship between positive attitudes toward registering as an organ donor and registration.  

RQ4: What type of organ donation message will be most effective in persuading people to register as organ donors. 

H4: A sympathetic/emotional message about organ donation will be more persuasive than messages intended to educate people about common organ donor myths or inspirational messages that show organ recipients with their families.

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

Method

An experimental design was chosen for this study to analyze if exposure to a certain type of emotional message

will yield persuasive responses. This experimentation allows for control

of the variable to determine if the message was successful in altering

behavior.

Participants

• 60 Villanova undergraduates

• Students were offered extra credit for participation

• Age range 19-24

• College students are the ideal subjects

Procedure

Introduction/Directions

Pre-test Questionnaire

Video exposure

Post-test Questionnaire

Opportunity to Register

InstrumentsMcCroskey &

Richmond’s six-item generalized

attitude scale

Participants responded using

six 7-point semantic differential items

Video Messages

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

Reasons For Not Registering

“I had not given it

enough thought” 13.3%

Reasons for Registering

“I want to give my organs to

someone who can use them”

25%

Confidence In Medical Systems

Of the 11 participants that became organ donors as a result of the study

– 9 indicated that they have a “great deal” of confidence in hospitals

– 8 indicated that they have a “great deal” of confidence in emergency care providers.

Attitudinal Changes Video 1

Video 2

Attitudinal Changes

Attitudinal Changes Video 3

Message Effects on Intent to Register

Signing Behavior Video 1 9 participants were already registered organ donors11 participants were not registered organ donors

– After viewing Video 1, 6 participants signed an organ donor card

Video 28 participants were already registered organ donors12 participants were not registered organ donors

– After viewing Video 2, 3 participants signed an organ donor card

Video 3 6 participants were already registered organ donors14 participants were not registered organ donors

– After viewing Video 3, 2 participants signed an organ donor card

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Conclusion

DiscussionVideo 1

Most effective in persuading people to register

Most emotional/sympathetic message

20% of the participants indicated they learned something new

Discussion Video 2

More negative attitudes initially

Decrease in attitudes on the “Good vs. Bad” item (McCroskey and Richmond

scale)

The majority of Video 2 participants (75%) indicated they learned

something new.

Discussion Video 3

Yielded the most significant change in attitudes

Least amount of signers

Shortest in length

55% indicated they learned something new

Suggestions For Future Messages

Emotional/Sympathetic Messages

Airing PSAs during popular medical TV shows

Informational/Emotional DMV Video for new drivers

Chapter in DMV Driver’s Manual

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

Limitations Small sample size of college students

Extra Credit Reward

Gender Ratio

Peer Influence

Unequal representation of race and religion

Video Message Length

Opportunity to register

Agenda • Overview• Previous

Research • Method • Results• Discussion• Limitations• Conclusion

1 Person can save the lives of 8 people…

…and/or improve the lives of 50

As a result of our study, potentially

88 lives will be saved and

550 people will have an improved quality of life.

Q&A