Pictorial health warnings on tobacco products warn current and potential users about the consequences of using tobacco products. I presume that they fill both categories of users with disgust, which is why disgust as an emotion is highlighted and represents the main topic of my master’s thesis. In addition to disgust, the theoretical part deals with altering user’s behaviour, shocking images in public communication and the use of such images for marketing purposes. As an emotion, disgust stands out because it can be related to some other emotions which arise simultaneously or as a consequnce of an individual coming in contact with something that is unpleasant at first sight, taste or smell. The user thus feels uneasy and is reluctant to stay in contact with the thing that provoked negative emotions in them. Moreover, this experience is related to fear, which is supposed to result in the user’s termination of a certain activitiy, in this case, the use of tobacco products. Visual communication that provokes disgust in the users of tobacco products is of key importance as it promotes healthy lifestyle without the use of tobacco products. Furthermore, visual communicaton as a type of communication with users is more effective than text warnings due to the illustrative presentation of consequences, which is why it can have a more effective impact on altering user’s behaviour. The analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews showed that pictorial health warnings fill users with disgust to some degree, but not enough to alter their behaviour and to make them quit the use of tobacco products. As previous studies have shown, pictorial health warnings have a better impact on those who have not yet started using tobacco products.
|
