| dc.description.abstract | The effects of source-receiver similarity and
source expertise on nutrition attitudes and knowledge
were examined among Gusii first and second year hararnbee
(self-help) secondary school students in western Kenya.
The characteristics of nutrition expertise and source receiver
similarity were empirically determined during
the early stages of the research by a questionnaire survey
of the students' perception of expertise and similarity.
Based upon this survey, two levels of expertise
(high and low) and two levels of similarity (high and
low) were examined in addition within each of the four
experimental treatments half of the male respondents
received a message attributed to a male source and half
attributed to a female source. Half of the female
respondents received a message attributed to a male source
and half attributed to a female source. This resulted in
a 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design. Each of the sixteen
experimental treatment groups received the same written
message which aimed to produce. nutritionally-advantageous
changes in nutrition attitudes and knowledge. In addition,
two (male and female) control groups did not receive any
nutrition message. After receiving the written communication,
a questionnaire was given to all of the respondents,
experimental and control, to measure the effect of source
expertise and similarity on nutrition attitudes and
knowledge .
.A significant difference was found for each sex
for both attitudes and knowledge between the eight
experimental groups (similarity (2) by expertise (2) by
sex of source (2» and their appropriate (male or female)
control group. No differences in .knowledge scores among
the various experimental groups were found. Neither a
similarity main effect nor an expertise main effect was
found for attitudes, however, a similarity-by-expertise
interaction was found. The low similar/low expert source
was less persuasive than either the low similar/high
expert source, high similar/low expert source or high
similar/high expert source.
A main effect for sex of subject was also reported.
Male students had higher attitude scores than female students.
Since the male students came from two predominantly
male schools and the female students came from two predominantly
female schools an examination was made of
school differences. A significant school difference was
found; therefore, the difference between the male and
female subjects may be due to a sex difference or to a
I school difference.
The order of the measurement of attitudes and
knowledge was balanced and an order effect was found.
Respondents who received the attitude statements first
had higher attitude scores than respondents who received
the attitude statements second, and respondents who
received the knowledge questions first had higher
knowledge scores than respondents who received the
knowledge questions second | en |
