Effects of type of value appealed to and valence of appeal on children's dental health behavior.

Examined the effects of the type of value appealed to and valence of appeal on children's intentions to engage in toothbrushing, their self-report of toothbrushing frequency, and their plaque level. 98 fifth-grade students served as the participants. Slide shows appealed to either health- or socially oriented values and also differed with respect to valence (positive vs. negative). A control group received a message that provided basic dental health information. Group comparisons revealed that children who received the negative social appeal showed a significant improvement in plaque level. Only the negative social appeal group differed significantly from the control group on the dependent measures.