The Regulatory Mechanism and Effect of Individual Motivation on Knowledge Gap: An Empirical Study based on health and Cancer Information Survey Data in Beijing and Hefei

Key words: individual Motivation, knowledge gap hypothesis, health communication, regulatory mechanism

Abstract:

Based on the survey data of health and cancer information in Beijing and Hefei, this paper uses the moderating effect model and Multiple Regression Analysis to verify the influence of motivation on knowledge gap in health field. Specifically, four motivational indicators, namely perceived cancer risk, self-efficacy, emotional involvement and behavioral involvement, are used to study the interaction among motivation, education level and media use frequency in the formation of cancer knowledge gap within the framework of motivation condition model. The results show that for the group with lower education level, when the perception of cancer risk, self-efficacy and behavior involvement are higher, they can obtain more knowledge from the use of media, so as to narrow the knowledge gap caused by the difference of education level. Some motivation indicators can reduce the difference of cancer knowledge caused by the difference of education level, which provides a cross-level explanation of the mechanism of knowledge gap from the perspective of individual motivation at micro level and socio-economic status at macro level. In China's special national conditions, the study enriches and expands the theoretical framework of the knowledge gap hypothesis, broadens its research vision, and provides practical guidance for the effective development of health communication campaign and the elimination of health knowledge inequality.

Published in Press Circles, Issue 09, 2018

Author:

Li Fengping, Lecturer, School of Journalism, Yunnan University, Researcher, Communication and Social Development Research Base, Yunnan University.

Yu Guoming, Distinguished Professor of Chang Jiang Scholars Program of the Ministry of education, executive director of School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, and Director of Research Center of Journalism and Social Development, Renmin University of China.