Testing “racial fetish” in health prevention messages: Chinese evaluation of ethnicity-(in)congruent messages as a function of out-group favoritism

Abstract:

Previous research argues that readers should prefer messages featuring their own ethnicity. However, in China, messages featuring white people are common. We investigate Chinese participants evaluation of ethnicity-(in)congruent messages to understand why communication practices diverge from theoretical expectations. Two normative health prevention messages, tested in a quasi-experimental design, were constructed to be ethnically (in)congruent. The results contradict the popular Chinese practice of ethnicity-incongruent messages; Chinese participants generally prefer ethnicity-congruent messages. However, participants reporting higher out-group favoritism, ethnicity-incongruent messages were evaluated more positively. We discuss in/out-group identification in evaluation of ethnicity-featuring messages and conclude with implications for communication practices in China.

Año de publicación:

2021

Keywords:

• Ethnic-targeted messages
• China
• out-group favoritism
• message quality
• health prevention messages

Fuente:

scopus