Warnings Can Be Dangerous

Anti-drinking ads could trigger a defensive mindset.

A new study finds that campaigns aimed at keeping people from drinking and driving can actually spur increased binge drinking among some audiences. The team at Indiana University concluded that these ads ultimately may do more harm than good. Particularly for individuals already in an emotional state of guilt or shame, the ads could trigger a defensive mindset, which allows them to underestimate how vulnerable they are to the consequences, thinking, ‘It only happens to other people.’ The findings come from experiments involving more than 1,200 undergraduate students who looked at anti-drinking ads meant to elicit shame or guilt. In one part of the study, 478 undergraduates either wrote about an event in which they felt shame or guilt before looking at the ads. Afterward, participants rated the likelihood they would binge drink in the coming year compared with the year prior. The guilt-laden students were much more likely than others to say they would binge drink in the coming year.