This project investigates the mental processes people use to process media stories and investigates how those stories influence beliefs, attitudes, and decision making. One aspect of this looks at the impact of narrative messages on compliance with home food safety messages.

While stories have long been recognized as playing an important role in human societies, research on the psychology and social psychology of narrative has greatly accelerated in the last decade. This research focuses on a wide range of topics including the mental processing of stories, the impact of stories on memory, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, the role stories play in our understanding and interpretation of the world, and the role stories play in our understanding of ourselves. This knowledge can be applied to strategic communication in health, the environment, the workplace, advertising and other venues. One aspect of this looks at the impact of narrative messages on compliance with home food safety messages. Studies show that most people know about the practices recommended to avoid foodborne illness in the home, but often do not comply with those recommendations. Narrative messages aimed at barriers to compliance may be effective in increasing compliance and thus preventing illness from foodborne disease.

We have conducted a number of studies investigating responses to narrative messages. We have also conducted focus groups and other studies to understand why people do not comply with recommendations aimed at preventing foodborne disease in home food preparation. We are now in the process of designing new messages aimed at encouraging better compliance with safe home food preparation recommendations.

This research is aimed at improving health and environmental messages. Specifically we are creating home food safety messages aimed at preventing illness and death from foodborne disease.

• Claudia Barriga (Communication/Cornell)
• Norman Porticella (Communication/Cornell)
• Hauwa Otori (Communication/Cornell)
• Robert Gravani (Food Science/Cornell)