Ni, Lan2012-04-192012-04-192012-04-192012-04-19May 20112011-05http://hdl.handle.net/10657/289This study aimed to examine if narrative persuasion was an effective method in Pap smear campaign among Chinese women in the United States and if the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) was appropriate to measure such an intervention. A three-group quasi-experiment with three different types of intervention was conducted among 233 Chinese women living in the U.S. Results showed that the selected first-person narrative on Pap test and cervical cancer was significantly effective in eliciting active information acquisition and transmission behaviors while direct health messages were significantly effective in eliciting passive information acquisition and selection behaviors. In particular, transportation level is significant correlated with differences in two major perceptual variables (problem recognition and involvement recognition), as well as information attending, seeking, permitting, and forwarding behaviors about Pap smear. The research also demonstrated that number of years in the United States, previous Pap test experience, and acculturation level significantly correlated with some situational theory variables. It is concluded that narrative persuasion has the potential of activating publics into information seeking and forwarding while direct messages from authoritative source seem to work only on passive dimensions of information behaviors. In addition, transportation level can serve as an important situational motivation for information behaviors. The lack of difference in the perceptual variables across all three groups indicates that persuasion, no matter in what form, might have limited impact on Chinese women with high education levels.application/pdfengThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).Narrative persuasionSituational theoryTransportation theoryCulture-specific health communicationInformation behaviorsDirect health messagesChinese womenPublic relations2012-04-19Thesisborn digital