It’s all relative: Increasing organ donor registration intentions by maximizing family-relevant vested interest

Abstract

Guided by vested interest theory, the impact of educating potential organ donors about the beneficial experiences afforded to families of deceased donors was assessed. Participants were informed about these benefits by taking a survey that asked them to indicate both their awareness, and the appeal, of numerous existing benefits (e.g. grief services). We employed a double-sided mixed design. Both the true experimental design and the quasi-experimental repeated assessment indicated increased registration intentions. Only the quasi-experimental design indicated significant attitude change. This study provides evidence supporting the potential utility of focusing interventions on the benefits afforded to donor families.