Pictorial warning labels reduce sharing intentions, blunt self-relevance processes elicited by social media posts promoting cannabis edibles

Bibliographic Data

ID22693156
AuthorsMatt Minich (0000-0002-8328-412X, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Lynne M Cotter (0009-0008-7698-9448, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Lauren A Kri (0000-0002-2764-2025, The University of Texas at Austin), Lauren A Kriss (Center for Health Communication, University of Texas at Austin , Austin), Linqi Lu (0000-0003-3342-1197, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Sijia Yang (0000-0003-4209-9881, University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author), Christopher N Cascio (0000-0001-6090-1706, University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume75
Issue5
Pages321-334
Publication date2025-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-9916 • E-ISSN: 1460-2466
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/joc/jqaf012
PMID41346345
OpenAlexW4410842905
LanguageEN
References cited57

The implementation of warning labels has been shown to slow the spread of harmful content on social media, but the mechanisms by which these interventions affect individuals' sharing decisions are not yet known. This study sought to establish the efficacy of these interventions and to explore the mechanisms of their influence using two parallel studies conducted within the United States: an online experiment that tested the effects of cannabis warning labels on sharing intentions (N = 1,776), and a neuroimaging study (N = 40) to examine how warning labels influenced activity in brain regions implicated in sharing decisions. Results demonstrated that warning labels paired with cannabis posts reduced intentions to share and were associated with decreased activation of brain regions associated with self-processing compared to cannabis posts alone. These results suggest that warning labels may discourage sharing by negatively influencing perceptions of self-relevance.

Advertising · Blunt · Business · Cannabis · Internet privacy · Political science · Relevance (law) · Social media · World Wide Web · Advanced Text Analysis Techniques · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Computer Science · Media Influence and Health · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology

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