Fear Appeals

Question 1

Fear appeals

Answer 1

Persuasive messages designed to scare people by describing negative things that will happen if the audience doesn’t change their behavior.
- Should include 2 types of info: present the threat to arouse fear & give a preventative action

Question 2

Fear appeal effectiveness

Answer 2

• Can be effective in prevention efforts ex. Preventing smoking
• And for one-time behaviors ex. Getting a flu shot
• FA aren’t always well-executed

Question 3

The Extended Parallel Process Model (extension of the Health Belief Model)

Answer 3

1) Perceived threat: perceived susceptibility and severity = how likely threat will impact you & how serious the threat is
2) Perceived efficacy: self-efficacy & self-response = how successfully you think the treatment will be

Question 4

EPPM: Responses to a fear appeal (1)

Answer 4

*Danger control: process the message and do something to avoid the threat (high threat, high severity, high self-efficacy and high self-response)

Question 5

EPPM: Responses to a fear appeal (2)

Answer 5

*Fear control: emotionally repressing the info and ignoring the threat (high threat, high severity, low self-efficacy and low self-response). You scared the audience without giving tools and ways to deal with the threat.
What happens to someone after seeing a fear appeal:
1) Denial: can’t happen to me, I’m too healthy
2) Defensive avoidance: I just won’t think about it
3) Message manipulation: they’re just trying to scare me

Question 6

EPPM: Responses to a fear appeal (3)

Answer 6

*Ignoring the message: low threat, low severity

Question 7

Ethical concerns

Answer 7

• Boomerang effect: trying to persuade people but they end up supporting the opposition position (this is your brain on drugs)
• Makes more stigma