Animated graphics for communicating health risks

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Animated graphics for communicating health risks

• Jessica S. Ancker, MPH, PhD
• Rita Kukafka, DrPH, MA
• Elke U. Weber, PhD
• Departments of Biomedical Informatics,
  Psychology, Management, and Sociomedical Sciences
• Columbia University, New York, NY

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Problem and significance
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Conclusions and contributions
Problem and significance
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Interactive search graphic
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Questionnaire study

• Hypothetical health choices - whether or not to
  take a free medicine against a disease
• Risk illustrated with either ordinary static
  graphics or interactive ones
• random sequential
  search

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Participants
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Findings
random sequential search

• On average, no effect on risk perceptions or
  decision to get vaccine

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Unexpected findings

• Amount of interaction with search graphic
  correlated with perceived risk (? 0.57 p
  .009)

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Example
3 clicks
32 clicks
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Reason Vividness?
vs.
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Summary

• The gamelike search graphic affected perceived
  risk and decisions
• A question order that drew attention to efficacy
  increased preventive intentions

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Conclusions

• Animation/interaction can be more than a medium
  for passing text messages back and forth

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Conclusions and contributions

• However, changing features of the information
  presentation (such as adding animation/interaction
  ) can change perceptions and decisions in
  unexpected ways

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• Research funded by AHRQ R03 HS016333 HS016333
• Training supported by NLM Training Grant LM007079
• Questions?
• Jessica Ancker
• jsa2002_at_columbia.edu
• www.dbmi.columbia.edu/jsa7002