CHES Health Communication Strategies 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which evaluation method BEST assesses whether a health communication campaign reached its intended audience?
- Process evaluation measuring reach, exposure, and engagement metrics (Correct answer)
- Impact evaluation measuring long-term health outcome changes
- Summative evaluation comparing pre- and post-behavior rates
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of communication channel expenses
Correct answer: Process evaluation measuring reach, exposure, and engagement metrics
Process evaluation tracks implementation fidelity including reach (who received the message) and exposure (how often), which directly measures audience reach.
Question 2: The 'extended parallel process model' (EPPM) predicts that health threat messages will motivate protective behavior change ONLY when:
- Perceived threat is high AND perceived efficacy to address the threat is also high (Correct answer)
- Fear appeals are as intense as possible regardless of self-efficacy
- The message is delivered by a high-credibility source without emotional content
- Threat severity is emphasized while coping options are intentionally omitted
Correct answer: Perceived threat is high AND perceived efficacy to address the threat is also high
EPPM (Witte) holds that high perceived threat motivates action only when paired with high efficacy; without efficacy, high fear leads to defensive avoidance.
Question 3: When a health communication message produces an outcome opposite to its intended effect, this is called:
- Reactance or boomerang effect (Correct answer)
- Channel noise
- Message saturation
- Cognitive dissonance resolution
Correct answer: Reactance or boomerang effect
Reactance (boomerang effect) occurs when audiences resist perceived threats to their autonomy, sometimes increasing the very behavior the message tried to reduce.
Question 4: A health educator wants to promote flu vaccination using testimonials from community members. This strategy primarily leverages:
- Social proof and narrative persuasion to normalize vaccination behavior (Correct answer)
- Fear appeals based on statistical mortality data
- Authority-based appeals from medical professionals
- Incentive-based communication offering tangible rewards
Correct answer: Social proof and narrative persuasion to normalize vaccination behavior
Testimonials from peers create social proof and narrative transportation, making vaccination feel normal and relatable through story-based persuasion.
Question 5: Which principle of the 'plain language' guidelines for health materials requires using active voice?
- Writing for the reader by making content clear, concise, and actionable (Correct answer)
- Including medical disclaimers in all public-facing health documents
- Using passive voice to maintain a formal, authoritative tone
- Front-loading technical terms to establish credibility early
Correct answer: Writing for the reader by making content clear, concise, and actionable
Plain language guidelines advocate for active voice, short sentences, common words, and a logical structure to make health information accessible to all readers.
Question 6: Digital health communication strategies must address the 'digital divide' by:
- Ensuring equitable access to technology and digital literacy support for underserved populations (Correct answer)
- Assuming all target audiences have equal access to smartphones and internet
- Focusing exclusively on social media because it is free to use
- Replacing all traditional communication channels with digital-only formats
Correct answer: Ensuring equitable access to technology and digital literacy support for underserved populations
The digital divide reflects unequal access to technology; equitable health communication requires addressing both hardware/internet access and digital literacy barriers.
Question 7: A CHES practitioner is conducting formative research before launching a health campaign. The PRIMARY purpose of formative research is to:
- Understand the target audience's needs, preferences, and barriers to inform campaign design (Correct answer)
- Measure the campaign's impact on health outcomes after it has been implemented
- Justify budget allocation decisions to organizational stakeholders
- Document the number of people reached after message distribution
Correct answer: Understand the target audience's needs, preferences, and barriers to inform campaign design
Formative research is conducted before implementation to gather audience insights that shape message content, channel selection, and overall campaign strategy.
CHES Health Communication Strategies 5
Which evaluation method BEST assesses whether a health communication campaign reached its intended audience?