Pretests for a Study on Quantitative Information in Direct-to-Consumer Television Advertisements

Quantitative TV Pretests 3 and 4

Survey Questionnaire

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study today. This study is about advertising for a new product. We will show you an ad for a new product and then ask you some questions about it.

Make sure you are comfortable and can read the screen from where you sit. The survey will include some audio, so please make sure the sound on your computer is active and the speaker volume is turned up.

ADVERTISEMENT INSTRUCTIONS

On the next screen, you will see an advertisement for a new product. The ad may take 15-30 seconds to start playing. Imagine that this ad is for a product that you might be interested in for yourself.

Once you finish viewing the ad, please click the Next button.

[DISPLAY ASSIGNED AD] [SUPPRESS “NEXT” BUTTON UNTIL AD FINISHES PLAYING]

We would like you to watch the ad a second time. Please click the Next button to view the ad.

[DISPLAY ASSIGNED AD AGAIN] [SUPPRESS “NEXT” BUTTON UNTIL AD FINISHES PLAYING]

SURVEY INSTRUCTIONS

Please answer the following questions based on the ad you saw.

Q1. Were you able to view the ad for [Drug X]?

• Yes

• No  [Terminate]

• Not sure  [Terminate]

Q2. What was the main message of this ad? (gist memory)

(open ended)

Q3. What are the benefits of [Drug X]? Please list as many benefits as you can remember. (benefit recall)

(open ended)

Q4. What are the side effects of [Drug X]? Please list as many side effects as you can remember. (risk recall)

(open ended)

Q5. Please check which of the following statements were mentioned in the ad. Even if you think a statement is true, please select it only if it was mentioned in the ad. [RANDOMIZE ORDER] (benefit recognition)

	Mentioned	Not Mentioned
a. [Drug X] improves vision in people with cataracts.	X
b. [Drug X] reduces cloudiness caused by cataracts.	X
c. You take [Drug X] by putting just two drops in each eye per day.	X
d. [Drug X] can only be used by people who have tried cataract surgery.		X
e. [Drug X] improves vision in people with glaucoma.		X
f. [Drug X] improves eyesight for people who are near-sighted.		X

Please answer the following questions based on what you learned from the ad. Your best guess is fine. [Keep on screen for questions Q6 – Q12]

Q6. Please complete the following sentence: [Drug X] improves vision by __%. (efficacy claim accuracy – magnitude)

______ % [permit numbers from 0-100; also permit ranges (e.g., 40-60%)]

Q7. If 100 people take [Drug X], how many will have better vision? (efficacy claim accuracy – likelihood)

_______% [permit numbers from 0-100; also permit ranges (e.g., 40-60%)]

Q8. [Drug X] eliminates all of the vision problems caused by cataracts. (gist efficacy claim accuracy – magnitude)

• True

• False (correct answer)

Q9. If someone with cataracts takes [Drug X], by how much will their vision improve in most cases? (gist efficacy claim accuracy – magnitude)

• Vision will improve a little bit (20-39% improvement)

• Vision will improve a moderate amount (40-59% improvement) (correct answer)

• Vision will improve a great deal (60-79% improvement)

Q10. [Drug X] will improve vision in almost everyone who takes it. (gist efficacy claim accuracy – likelihood)

• True

• False (correct answer)

Q11. The majority of people who take [Drug X] will not have any vision improvement. (gist efficacy claim accuracy – likelihood)

• True

• False (correct answer)

Q12. If 100 people take [Drug X], how many will have better vision? (gist efficacy claim accuracy – likelihood)

• Less than half (0-40%)

• More than half (60-100%) (correct answer)

Q13. [Drug X] is more likely to improve vision than other treatments for cataracts. (perceived efficacy - comparative)

1 Strongly disagree

2

3

4

5

6 Strongly agree

Q14. After seeing this ad, how likely would you be to recommend [Drug X] to a close family member with cataracts? (behavioral intention)

1 Not at all likely

2

3

4

5

6 Extremely likely

Q15. Based on the ad, how convinced are you that [Drug X] improves vision? (ad persuasiveness)

1 Not at all convinced

2

3

4

5

6 Completely convinced

Q16. Please check which of the following were mentioned in the ad as risks of taking [Drug X]. Even if you think a statement is true, please select it only if it was mentioned in the ad. [RANDOMIZE ORDER] (risk recognition)

	Mentioned	Not Mentioned
a. A side effect of [Drug X) is loss of depth perception.	X
b. A side effect of [Drug X) is runny nose.	X
c. People with glaucoma should not take [Drug X].	X
d. A side effect of [Drug X] is a detached retina.	X
e. A side effect of [Drug X] is blurry vision.		X
f. A side effect of [Drug X] is temporary blindness.		X
g. People with kidney problems should not take [Drug X].		X
h. A side effect of [Drug X] is nausea.		X

Q17. How serious are [Drug X]’s side effects? (perceived risk – magnitude)

1	2	3	4	5	6
Most would not be serious					Most would be very serious

Q18. How bothersome would [Drug X]’s side effects be? (perceived risk – magnitude)

1	2	3	4	5	6
Not at all bothersome					Extremely bothersome

Q19. [Drug X] is riskier than other treatments for cataracts. (perceived risk - comparative)

1 Strongly disagree

2

3

4

5

6 Strongly agree

Q20. Thinking overall about the risks and benefits, would you say [Drug X] has: (benefit/risk tradeoff)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

More risks Equal risks More benefits

than benefits and benefits than risks

Q21. This ad used images or special effects to show how well [Drug X] works. (manipulation check – images of improvement)

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

P1. [IF Q21 YES] Please describe those images or special effects. (manipulation check – images of improvement)

(open ended)

Q22. [IF Q21 YES] In your opinion, how accurate were the images or special effects that showed how well [Drug X] works? (images of improvement – perceived accuracy)

1	2	3	4	5
Not at all accurate		Somewhat accurate		Accurate

Q23. [IF Q21 YES] Compared to the images and special effects in the ad, how well would [Drug X] work in real life? (images of improvement – perceived accuracy)

1	2	3	4	5
[Drug X] would improve people’s vision a lot less than the images suggest	[Drug X] would improve people’s vision a little bit less than the images suggest	[Drug X] would improve people’s vision the same than the images suggest	[Drug X] would improve people’s vision a little bit more than the images suggest	[Drug X] would improve people’s vision a lot more than the images suggest

Q24. Did you notice any blurriness on the screen? (manipulation check – images of improvement)

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

Q25. [IF Q24 YES] How did the blurriness change throughout the ad? (manipulation check – images of improvement)

1	2	3	4	5
Ad got a lot less blurry	Ad got a little bit less blurry	Blurriness stayed the same throughout ad	Ad got a little bit more blurry	Ad got a lot more blurry

P2. [IF Q24 YES] In your own words, what was the purpose of the blurriness in the ad? (manipulation check – images of improvement)

(open ended)

P3. Did the ad contain any numbers about how well [Drug X] improved vision? (manipulation check – efficacy claim)

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

Q26. The ad may have included both images and numbers showing how well [Drug X] works. How closely did the images and special effects match the numbers in the ad? (perceived match – efficacy claim vs. images of improvement)

1	2	3	4	5
The images showed less improvement than the numbers		The images showed the same amount of improvement as the numbers		The images showed more improvement than the numbers

Q27. Please check how much you agree or disagree with the following statements about the ad you saw. (ad skepticism)

This ad is a reliable source of information about the risks and benefits of [Drug X].

This ad presents a true picture of [Drug X].

I feel I’ve been accurately informed after viewing this ad.

This ad provides consumers with essential information for deciding whether to ask a doctor about [Drug X].

1	2	3	4	5	6
Strongly disagree					Strongly agree

Q28. Now here are some questions that require you to use numbers to solve the problem. Some are easy, and others are more difficult. Please don’t use a calculator: We’d like you to answer on your own.

Remember, almost everyone will have trouble with these questions, so don’t be upset if some are difficult—just do your best! (objective numeracy)

1. Imagine that you flip a fair coin 1,000 times. What is your best guess about how many times the coin would come up heads in 1,000 flips?

___ times out of 1,000

2. In the BIG BUCKS LOTTERY, the chance of winning a $10 prize is 1%. What is your best guess about how many people would win a $10 prize if 1,000 people each buy a single ticket to BIG BUCKS LOTTERY?

____ people

3. In ACME PUBLISHING SWEEPSTAKES, the chance of winning a car is 1 in 1,000. What percent of tickets to ACME PUBLISHING SWEEPSTAKES will win a car

___ percent

Q29. Are you currently taking a prescription medicine for any eye or vision problems? (prescription use)

• Yes

• No

• Don't know or uncertain

Q30. In general, how much do you know about cataracts? (perceived medical condition knowledge)

• Nothing at all

• Only a little bit

• Some

• A lot

Q31. Do you have or have you had cataracts? (medical condition history)

• Yes – Currently have cataracts

• Yes – Previously had cataracts

• Never had cataracts

• Don't know

Q32. [IF Q31 YES] Have you ever had cataract surgery? (treatment history)

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

Q33. [IF Q31 NEVER HAD / DON’T KNOW] How likely do you think it is that you will get cataracts? (medical condition perceived risk)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Not at all Extremely

Likely Likely

Q34. Have any of your close family members—such as parents, brothers, or sisters—ever had cataracts? (family medical condition history)

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

Q35. Have you had any vision problems—other than needing contacts or glasses—in the past 10 years? (history of vision problems)

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

Q36. I experience prescription drug side effects more frequently than other people my age. (prescription attitude – side effect history)

1 Strongly disagree

2

3

4

5

6 Strongly agree

Q37. Whenever I take prescription drugs, they tend to work the way they are supposed to work. (prescription attitude – efficacy history)

1 Strongly disagree

2

3

4

5

6 Strongly agree

Q38. How often do you or would you use prescription drugs? (prescription attitude – personal usage)

• I would never use them

• I would use them only for serious health conditions

• I would use them for moderate and serious health conditions

• I would use them for most health conditions, including minor problems

P4. How noticeable was the information about [Drug X]’s benefits? (efficacy claim awareness)

1	2	3	4	5	6
Not at all noticeable					Very noticeable

P5. How similar or different was this ad compared to other television ads for prescription drugs? (ad quality)

1	2	3	4	5	6
Nothing like ads on TV					Just like ads on TV

P6. Do you think the ad quality was… (ad quality)

• High, like a national ad

• Medium, like an ad for a local business

• Low, like an amateur filmed it with a video camera

Q44. Would you like to see more information about [Drug X]? (information search behavior)

• Yes, look for more information now

• No, do not look for more information now

DEBRIEF

The purpose of this study is to learn about reactions to medical advertising. In order to get a real-life reaction, we used a pretend product in this study. [Drug X] is not a real product and is not available for sale. Please see your healthcare professional for questions about cataracts.

You have been very helpful. Thank you very much for your participation!