Culture and Health Persuasion: Differences between Koreans and Americans

Four studies examined the perceived persuasiveness of pro-and anti-health messages among Koreans and Americans. Results indicated that the perceived effectiveness of messages in the two countries depends on whether a healthy (e.g., anti-smoking) or an unhealthy (pro-smoking) behavior is advocated. In general, Americans believed that they were more persuaded than others by messages advocating healthy behavior, whereas Koreans believed that they were less persuaded than others by such messages. In contrast, Americans believed that they were less persuaded than others by messages advocating unhealthy behavior, whereas this tendency was not found among Koreans. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.