Reexamining Fear Appeal Models from Cognitive Appraisal Theory and Functional Emotion Theory Perspectives

Abstract

Recognizing inconsistencies between the extant fear appeal theories and emotion literature, this research integrated cognitive appraisal theory and functional emotion theory into a fear appeal literature and proposed a model that describes a process through which both fear and anxiety can contribute to adaptive responses. Findings from an experiment (N = 927) supported the predictions. Fear and anxiety emerged as distinct constructs. Perceived susceptibility was a stronger predictor of anxiety than fear, while perceived severity was a stronger predictor of fear than anxiety. In addition, greater fear and anxiety led to greater response efficacy through increased motivation to obtain protection-related information and heightened attention to such information, thus mediating the threat and coping appraisal processes. The SEM model testing the predictions showed that perceived susceptibility had the strongest total effects on protection intention, followed by anxiety, perceived severity, and fear.

Keywords:

• Fear Appeals
• Fear
• Anxiety
• Response Efficacy
• Cognitive Appraisal Theory
• Functional Emotion Theory

Acknowledgement

The authors thank Dr Lijiang Shen for his helpful advice on data analysis and the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

[1] As noted by Parrott (2001), we acknowledge that what is considered functional, in a broad and general sense, should be understood with a specific context of emotional arousal in mind. Accordingly, as this paper focused on fear appeals in a persuasive health communication context, in which the messages aim at motivating protective actions against health threats, we define functionality as being conducive to the adoption of protective action against the threat advocated in health communication context. Consequently, throughout this paper, functional role refers to the role in inducing adaptive responses defined by Hovland et al. (1953) as a motivational state conducive to the adoption of protective action against the threat. Dysfunctional role, on the other hand, refers to the role in inducing maladaptive responses defined by Hovland et al. (1953) as a motivational state involving defensive avoidance, which focuses on reducing fear through psychological defense mechanisms including denial and avoidance without the adoption of protective actions.

[2] Turner et al. (2006) measured anxiety with items assessing the extent to which subjects were “worried, anxious, nervous, terrified, panicked, scared, fearful, and frightened” (p. 146). Thus, anxiety in their study was operationalized as both fear and anxiety.

[3] The CDC recommends a booster dose within 5 years after the first dose administered during adolescent years (CDC, 2014). Thus, even if one has already obtained meningococcal vaccination, it is recommended that he or she obtains a booster shot at around the age of 16 through 21 years of age, especially when he or she lives in close quarters with others (e.g., in residential halls).