Sheila T Murphy

• PhD in Social Psychology from University of Michigan
• Professor at University of Southern California

To optimize engagement of Latino communities in cancer research, University of Southern California researchers are working with communities on prevention of cervical cancer, a highly preventable and treatable disease. Two recent studies from their signature initiatives, Es Tiempo and Tamale Lesson , are presented to illustrate the situation in the...

The current study assessed whether vicariously experiencing story characters granting a small favor can induce similar intentions from its audiences. Acting upon the perspectives of story characters, audiences may agree to a subsequent larger request to the same cause, as in the case of vicarious foot-in-the-door (VFITD). Study 1 found that a VFITD...

One of the greatest challenges in health communication is to persuade people to enact behavior whose consequences lie in the distant future. Could the persuasiveness of a health message be increased by highlighting future regret that one may experience? Using a 2(framing: gain vs. loss) x 3(temporal thinking: future-thinking vs. past-thinking vs. n...

The current study assessed whether vicariously experiencing story characters granting a small favor can induce strong intentions from its audiences. Acting upon the perspectives of story characters, audiences may agree to a subsequent larger request to the same cause, as in the case of vicarious foot-in-the-door (VFITD). Study 1 found that a VFITD...

We live in a time of precision medicine, where more targeted diagnostics and treatments are available for individuals given their genetic make-up. Yet these options are not always utilized widely, especially among racial/ethnic minorities, such as Latinos. This is in part because of disparities that still exist in participation of Latinos in preven...

Informed by communication infrastructure theory (CIT) and the social capital approach to health, this study focused on the role played by communication hotspots: physical places in a community (e.g., parks, churches, or restaurants) where health information is shared between network actors. By analyzing survey data that included information about c...

Cervical cancer has decreased significantly over the past 30 years in some countries. However, it remains among the leading causes of cancer deaths in low-income, and racial/ethnic minority women. Cervical cancer prevention technologies are not always available. Laboratories are often not well equipped to use them. HPV information has not been wide...

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of translating films, and whether the use of narrative is an effective vehicle for producing changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding cervical cancer compared with a nonnarrative film. A randomized controlled telephone trial surveyed the effectiveness of...

Empirical research has found that self-affirmation that precedes exposure to threatening information can reduce resistance and exert a positive effect on attitudes and beliefs. However, the effortful methods currently used to induce self-affirmation (e.g., writing an essay about an important value) limit its applicability. Informed by narrative per...

In 2008, Panama became the first country in Latin America to offer the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine at no cost to 10‐year‐old girls as part of its National Immunization Program. Vaccine completion rates remain suboptimal, and knowledge is limited regarding public perceptions of the HPV vaccine in Panama. A cross‐sectional survey of 333 Panam...

The study explored the role of second-screen use and binge-watching in moderating entertainment education (EE) effects. A pretest/posttest experiment of 273 viewers of East Los High measured the effects of exposure to three subplots, concerning alcohol abuse, abortion, and immigration. The effect of identification with characters on change in attit...

This study examines the importance of urban ethnic neighborhoods as the context of everyday life, where normative influences on health are formed, modified, and maintained. Built on communication infrastructure theory, this study investigates the role of women’s connections to their neighborhood storytelling network—consisting of residents, local/e...

This study explored how structural and cultural forces work together with psychological and communication factors in influencing Pap test compliance among Latinas in Los Angeles County, a group who face health disparities related to cervical cancer screening, incidence and mortality. By adopting a multilevel approach to obtain a grounded understand...

The study reports on a meta-analysis of attempts to correct misinformation (k = 65). Results indicate that corrective messages have a moderate influence on belief in misinformation (r = .35); however, it is more difficult to correct for misinformation in the context of politics (r = .15) and marketing (r = .18) than health (r = .27). Correction of...

Despite its long history in communication, scholars continue to debate whether humor enhances or undermines persuasive attempts. To better understand the contingencies of humor effects, we conducted a meta-analysis of 89 studies across the various fields in which humor has been researched over time. Overall, humor has a weak and significant effect...

Numerous studies have demonstrated the power of entertainment narratives to influence attitudes and behaviors; fewer have examined the effects of TV portrayals on attitudes toward marginalized groups. The present study is among the first to explore how entertainment narratives depicting transgender individuals influence viewers’ attitudes toward tr...

This study provides evidence for the independent and additive effects of story exploration and character customization induced by fictional narratives on causal attribution and support for marginalized groups. In Study 1 (N = 163), participants read a story about a trans-gender teenager. Story exploration influenced identification and narrative eng...

This study provides evidence for the independent and additive effects of story exploration and character customization induced by fictional narratives on causal attribution and support formarginalized groups. In Study 1 (N = 163), participants read a story about a transgender teenager. Story exploration influenced identification and narrative engag...

While prior research has demonstrated the benefits of self-affirming individuals prior to exposing them to potentially threatening health messages, the current study assesses the feasibility of inducing self-affirmation vicariously through the success of a character in a narrative. In Study 1, college-age participants who regularly use e-cigarettes...

Objectives: Latinos have a disproportionately high risk for obesity and hypertension. The current study analyzes survey data from Latin American women to detect differences in rates of obesity and hypertension based on their number of health-related social ties. Additionally, it proposes individuals’ health-related media preference (ethnic/ mainstr...

Rates of influenza vaccination among US Hispanics are lower than for non-Hispanic whites, yet little is known about factors affecting vaccination in this population. Additionally, although Hispanics are a diverse population with culturally distinct subgroups, they are often treated as a homogenous population. This study (1) examines how confidence...

Informed by the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) and ego-network analysis, the present study outlines the mechanisms that contribute to the creation and maintenance of social norms and their subsequent behavioral outcomes. By analyzing different patterns of normative influence associated with cervical cancer detection among Latinas (N = 9...

The 2016 Orlando shooting offers an intriguing lens through which to evaluate the boundaries of media frames in the interpretation of terrorism. Using an experimental design (N = 243), the current study investigated the effects of two dominant frames—the homophobic hate crime and the Islamic terrorism frame—on collective guilt, collective victimiza...

Limited attention has been given to the medium of story presentation in this process of narrative persuasion. The present study (N = 243) fills this gap by directly comparing narrative involvement across print and audiovisual versions of the same cervical cancer-related story. The mediation analysis revealed that exposure to an audiovisual narrativ...

This study investigated the role played by level of acculturation in the effect of narrative persuasion on health-related outcomes. A random sample of 186 Mexican American females watched either a narrative designed to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake or an equivalent nonnarrative film. While message format failed to exert a direc...

Self-affirmation theory posits that thoughts and actions that affirm an important aspect of the self-concept can make people more susceptible to change by casting their self in a positive light. Whereas much of the current literature has been restricted to individual-level concerns, the current study provides longitudinal evidence for behavioral ou...

African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans are disproportionately affected by cancer, yet underrepresented in cancer clinical trials. Because of this, it is important to understand how attitudes and beliefs about clinical trials vary by ethnicity. A national, random sample of 860 adults was given an online survey about attitudes toward clinical trial...

This study aims to (a) examine the roles of knowledge, distrust in medical professionals, information sources, and 2 dimensions of religiosity (i.e., religious activity and religious belief) in influencing willingness to participate (WTP) in cancer clinical trials and to (b) compare the results for Caucasians and African Americans in order to infor...

Interpersonal contacts play important roles in women’s health decisions. By using personal network analysis with a focus on specific role relationships, we can better examine interpersonal influences on health decision-making. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys of Hispanic women (N = 1632). Using an ego network name generator and name...

Objective: The purpose of this exploratory study was to validate and extend previous research on social support by identifying which dimensions of social support are most commonly exchanged on health-related social networking sites and how social network structure varies with each support dimension exchanged. Methods: This research applies a mul...

Although entertainment-education narratives are increasingly being used to communicate health information to a diversity of populations, there is limited evidence examining the use of narrative health education videos in low compared with adequate health literacy populations. There are also very few studies directly comparing narrative materials to...

Social media have become an integral part of communication campaigns all around the world as International Organizations such as UNICEF, anti‐trafficking NGOs and local groups attempt to generate awareness of, and increase civic participation around, the issue of human trafficking. Sites such as Facebook are used to open up channels of communicatio...

s: Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; November 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX Objective: The primary goal of our research was to empirically test whether utilizing a narrative format might produce a greater and longer lasting impact on health related knowledge, attit...

We compared the relative efficacy of a fictional narrative film to a more traditional nonnarrative film in conveying the same health information. We used a random digit dial procedure to survey the cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and African American women, aged 25 to 45 years, liv...

Increasingly, health communication practitioners are exploring the use of narrative storytelling to convey health information. For this study, a narrative film was produced to provide information about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer prevention. The storyline centered on Lupita, a young woman recently diagnosed with HPV who infor...

Typically, acculturation is measured with a single scale, however these scales have limitations and usually measure individual-level phenomena. But women’s lives also operate within a social and community context. We developed a multi-dimensional acculturation measure that takes into account individual variables, interpersonal connectedness, and co...

Three community-based CHWs/Promotoras de Salud-academic research partnerships explore how neighborhood characteristics (rural vs. urban) are associated with equity indicators in vulnerable communities; and how CHWs/Promotras can use these indicators to maximize community change: Regale-Salud, Su-Corazón-Su-Vida, and Tobacco-Retailers engaged CHWs/P...

Residential neighborhood is the very type of environment where everyday life is most keenly experienced. The past decade has seen a drastic demographic shift in the United States, posing a demanding challenge on existing scholarship that theorizes the effects of neighborhood on many aspects of people’s lives, including health. Normative influence i...

Background: In 2008, Panama became the first country in Latin America to offer the HPV vaccine at no cost to 10 year-old girls as part of their national immunization program. Although reported coverage rate is >80% among the intended population, no studies have been published on perception and knowledge of the HPV vaccine among women in Panama. M...

Studies using multilevel modeling to analyze neighborhood health effect typically define neighborhoods based on contiguous units with arbitrarily drawn boundaries (e.g. census tracts). This approach may not necessarily reflect the cultural, institutional and physical characteristics of neighborhoods, hence biasing the results. Based on previous wor...

Latina women in Los Angles are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as white women according to the Los Angeles Health Survey (LAPH, 2010). This disparity also exists for cervical cancer mortality but, interestingly, varies depending on where in Los Angeles these women live. Specifically, Latina women who live in South and East Los Angeles ar...

Background: Cervical cancer ranks second in terms of prevalence and mortality among female cancers in Panama, where HPV is highly prevalent (>50%). Few qualitative studies have investigated cultural beliefs and knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV among Panamanian women and the role these views may play in screening behaviors. Objective: Describe...

Background: Latina women have the highest incidence of cervical cancer of any major racial/ethnic group in the United States. Interpersonal discussion is an important predictor of perceived efficacy of cancer screening. Purpose: This study examines the relationship of Latina’s social networks to compliance with cervical cancer screening guideline...

Background: Maternal stress plays a significant role in the development and progression of cervical cancer. We examined whether being overwhelmed with “too much to deal with” impacts being up-to-date with Pap-testing, having one’s daughter vaccinated against HPV and self-efficacy to engage in these behaviors. Using a place-based framework, we exami...

Uptake and completion of the HPV vaccine among Latina girls has been relatively low, despite mothers’ generally positive attitudes toward the vaccine. Focus groups were used for an in-depth, qualitative investigation of Mexican-American mothers’ beliefs about and perceived barriers regarding the HPV vaccine and their recommendations for vaccine pro...

Cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women globally. Latinas carry a disproportionate burden of this disease. In the United States, when compared with non-Hispanic Whites, Latinas endure much higher incidence rates (13.86 vs. 7.70 per 100 000) with mortality rates 1.5 times greater than for non-Hispanic White women. In order t...

Korean Americans represent one of the fastest growing Asian subpopulations in the United States. Despite a dramatic reduction in incidence nationwide, cervical cancer remains a major threat for Korean American women. By preventing the strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) known to cause cervical cancer, the HPV vaccines appear to be a promising...

Nearly 60% of American adults and 80% of Internet users have sought health information online. Moreover, Internet users are no longer solely passive consumers of online health content; they are active producers as well. Social media, such as social networking sites, are increasingly being used as online venues for the exchange of health-related inf...

There is considerable misinformation regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines. As a result, a significant number of parents refuse vaccination for their children or do not follow recommended vaccination schedules. This anti-vaccine sentiment is often accompanied by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. This study examines the association...

Background: Maternal stress has been found to be a key factor in family decision-making related to children and mother's own health (Harrison, 2005). This study examines the role of maternal stress in cervical cancer screening (Pap tests) and child HPV vaccination. Methods: A RDD survey measuring life stress, self-efficacy, behavioral intentions an...

Background: The power and perseverance of stories has been recognized for thousands of years, yet Western medicine often disregards the use of narrative. This research empirically tested whether a fictional narrative produces a larger and longer-lasting impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior than the identical information prese...

The power and perseverance of a narrative has been recognized and utilized for thousands of years. Yet in crafting health messages Western medicine all but ignores the use of narrative. To empirically test the impact of narratives in producing knowledge, attitude and behavior change (compared to non-fiction, non-narrative formats) we produced two 1...

Background: Of all adults diagnosed with cancer and other chronic diseases, enrollment in clinical trials is less than 5 percent of those eligible to enroll, and of those, only ten percent are minorities (Vickers et al., 2010; Mills et al., 2006). While past research has primarily focused on barriers to participation in clinical trials, this resear...

Background: Compared to white women, Latinas are at higher risk for cervical cancer. Risk is particularly high for Latinas with less than a high school education (currently over half of Latinas living in Los Angeles). Thus, determining barriers to cervical cancer screening among Latinas is crucial to reducing cervical cancer health disparities. Met...

Background: The vaccine to prevent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) became available for females in 2006 and for males in 2009. Unfortunately, HPV vaccine uptake has been low especially among males. Despite the importance of HPV vaccination in preventing diseases including oropharyngeal, anal and penile cancers in males and cervical cancer in females, ac...

Prime-time broadcast television provides health information and establishes norms for millions of people in the United States (Beck, 2004; Brodie et al., 2001 ; Murphy & Cody, 2003; Rideout, 2008). To understand what people may be learning about reproductive and sexual health, a content analysis was conducted of story lines from the 10 most popular...

Although deaths from cervical cancer are declining, Latinas are not benefiting equally in this decline. Incidence of invasive cervical cancer among Los Angeles', California Latinas is much higher than among non-Latina Whites (14.7 versus 8.02 per 100,000). This paper examines cervical cancer screening among Latinas. Ninety-seven women of Mexican or...

Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of health communication campaigns. However, these campaigns often encounter challenges related to the socially specific context in which norms exist: specifically, the extent to which the target population identifies with the reference group presented in...

This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces a greater impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention than presenting the identical information in a more traditional, nonfiction, non-narrative format. European American, Mexican American, and African American women (N = 758) were surveyed befo...

This research empirically tests whether using a fictional narrative produces greater impact on health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention than presenting the identical information in a more traditional, nonfiction, nonnarrative format. European American, Mexican American, and African American women (N = 758) were surveyed before...

Background: One of the intermediate impacts that public health campaigns can have is to increase interpersonal discussion about the health topic in question. Previous research has found that such discussion can amplify the effects of a campaign by increasing campaign diffusion. Purpose: To compare the impact of a narrative versus a non-narrative fi...

Background: Although narrative has been the primary form of communication throughout history, health promotion has all but ignored narrative when conveying health-related information. The need for more effective health communication prompted the development of two films for use in a study that evaluates the relative impact of narrative vs. non-narr...

Background: The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has been identified as the primary cause of cervical cancer. Further, Latinas have the highest incidence of cervical cancer in the United States. Although acculturation and self-construal have been found to influence Latinas' health decision-making, little is known regarding the impact of these constructs...

Background: Hispanic women in Los Angeles are almost twice as likely as White or Black women and 54% more likely than Asian women to develop cervical cancer. Cervical cancer mortality rates are also higher for women with lower socioeconomic status. Since half of all Hispanic women in LA County are at the federal poverty level and have less than a h...

Background: Although pap tests can detect and prevent cervical cancer, many women are not regularly tested. Descriptive social norms the perception of how common it is for others to engage in a particular behavior have been found to be an important predictor of cervical cancer screening and prevention behaviors. Objective: To compare the effectiven...

BACKGROUND: With early detection and the advent of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, cervical cancer is both a curable and preventable disease. But less than half of Korean women get a regular Pap test or follow guidelines for screening. Moreover, although a vaccine to prevent common strains of HPV is available for males and females ages 9 t...

Identity-based strategies have been suggested as a way to promote healthy behaviors when traditional approaches fall short. The truth® campaign, designed to reduce smoking in adolescents, is an example of a campaign that uses such a strategy to reach youth described as being outside the mainstream. This article examines the effectiveness of this st...

This study explores the role of interpersonal discussion and social norms in a public health campaign, the BBC Condom Normalization Campaign, designed to promote conversation and change the public perception of condom use in India. Drawing upon the integrative model of behavioral prediction, attitudes, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and descripti...

Can stories succeed where traditional forms of diplomacy have faltered? This study examined whether a primetime drama could impact American viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with respect to U.S. foreign policy and funding by surveying 173 viewers of an episode of Law & Order: SVU ("Witness"). Additionally, this study sought to uncover whi...

Objective: This study examines the potential for an entertainment program to impact cancer-related knowledge and behavior in at risk Hispanic populations. Additionally, this study sought to uncover which theoretical construct involvement with a specific character or involvement with the narrative more generally (Green and Brock's transportation) be...

The Romero family is preparing for ROSITA's Quinceaera her 15th birthday celebration. It's the day before the Quinceaera and there are decorations everywhere. In the kitchen, LUPITA, late 20s, talks on her cell phone. She hangs up angrily and says, Yeah, well then don't bother calling me, because it's over. LUPITA sighs deeply trying to hold back a...

Background: With early detection and the advent of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, cervical cancer is both a curable and preventable disease. Yet in 2010, cervical cancer took 4,210 lives in the United States. The current research examines whether narratives or stories may be a better way to deliver vital health information than more tradi...

Background: Korean women suffer disproportionately from cervical cancer. However, less than half get a Pap test according to recommendations. With early detection and the advent of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, cervical cancer is both a curable and preventable disease. Purpose: To understand how a culture specific narrative, different fr...

Background: Limited research exists regarding the association between Spanish-language mass media exposure and body image or self-esteem for Latinas. The present study investigates the influence of Sin Senos No Hay Paraso (a Telemundo telenovela concerning plastic surgery) and other Spanish-language mass media for a sample of Latinas. Methods: La...

This study examined how 3 constructs-involvement with a specific character, involvement with the narrative (Green and Brock's construct of transportation), and viewers' emotional reaction to the narrative-produce entertainment-education (EE) effects. A pretest/posttest survey of 167 regular viewers measured the effects of exposure to a lymphoma sto...

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Epidemiological evidence reveals that Hispanic women lag behind all other ethnic groups in their rate of cervical cancer screening (National Health Interview Survey, 2006). Can stories succeed where more traditional cancer campaigns have faltered? Funding by the National Canc...

Using data from a national probability sample of 518 American adults, this study investigates if media coverage of H1N1 influenza, sociodemographic characteristics, health status and certain psychological variables predict compliance with behavioral recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent the H1N1fl...

Studies have shown that health content depicted on fictional television programs is associated with change in audience members. However, since audience members have different television viewing habits, not all television audiences will be equally exposed to health content on TV. Therefore, identifying the health content that different audiences are...

Studies suggest social support is important for positive pregnancy outcomes. While social support has traditionally been studied in face-to-face contexts, recently social networking sites have become the latest incarnation of support communities, with forums developing around specific health conditions like pregnancy. Research suggests that women a...

This study examined the role of character gender in prime time television health portrayals. A content analysis of 1,291 health-related storylines from three spring seasons (2004–2006) of the ten most popular American television programs measured the frequency of male and female characters in prominent roles and how storylines differed with the sex...

BACKGROUND:: In response to the evolving nature of potential disasters, both human made and natural, this research identifies predictors of individual emergency preparedness and compliance with government requests. METHODS:: A survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults (1629 respondents) revealed which emergency supplies and plans th...

In the United States, entertainment-education (E-E) initiatives in primetime television that provide public health information are at risk for diminished impact due to the media-saturated environment in which they must compete. One strategy to overcome this limitation is to use multiple primetime TV shows to reinforce similar health messages in mul...

Postcolonial and indigenous scholars suggest that creating alternative histories is a necessary activity for Native peoples in their recovery from the destructive emotional, behavioral, and political effects of colonial domination. The literature on history-making as a restorative process has focused on mental health, reversing negative representat...

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-3 to establish the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). The resultant color-coded system distinguishes between five Threat Conditions ranging from Low (green) to Severe (red) risk of terrorist attack. This research uses an auto...

Her research focuses on how people make decisions and the factors that influence them. The official mission of the Olympic Games is to utilize sport for the promotion of peace and mutual understanding among the nations of the world. This laudable goal, aided by the ability of the Games to attract an unparalleled global audience, makes the Olympics...

A recent string of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and fears of pandemic flu have caused much attention and resources to be allocated to disaster preparedness education in the United States. As there is variability in outcomes and populations impacted by disasters, both natural and manmade, a generic preparedness or all hazards approach has e...

Several studies have shown that television serves as a primary source of health information for viewers (Brodie et al., 2001; Kennedy et al., 2003; Sharf et al., 1996), especially minority viewers who are at higher risk for disease and disability (Beck & Pollard, 2003). This underscores the importance of accurate health content in entertainment tel...

This study evaluates the effects of an ER (NBC) storyline about teen obesity, hypertension, and 5 A Day on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The storyline depicted an African American teen who presented at the emergency room with burns from a workplace injury. Upon diagnosis, the teen was discovered to have hypertension and counseled to eat more...

This article examines the proposition that a popular form of entertainment, the telenovela, can educate Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States if accurate health information is presented in a dramatic, narrative format. Health professionals consulted on a breast cancer storyline in a Spanish-language telenovela, Ladrón de Corazones, and the...

About 60% of U.S. journalism schools are preparing students to work across multiple media platforms. In fall 2002, the University of Southern California launched a Convergence Core Curriculum (CCC) in which all journalism students learned print, broadcast, and online journalism concurrently. Both students and instructors reported that the classes s...

This study of men who have sex with men (MSM) examined whether tendencies to consider the future consequences of one's actions were associated with sexual behaviors that place oneself at risk for HIV infection. A total of 339 HIV-negative MSM responded to the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC; Strathman et al., 1994) and to questions...

As we enter the twenty-first century, television continues to be the dominant communication technology for war coverage. In an age of globalization, television is the tool whereby most of the world’s citizens and world governments obtain information. Television coverage plays a pivotal role in determining a story’s salience and shelf life that, in...