Abstract
Integrating the discrete emotions and emotional dimensionality theories in crisis communication research, a 2 (emotional type: anger vs. sympathy) × 2 (emotional intensity: high vs. low) between-subjects experiment using a random general public sample was designed to examine the variance in publics' crisis coping strategies and their acceptance of different organizational crisis responses, as a function of crisis-induced anger and sympathy of different intensity. Differential influences of emotional type and intensity on coping and crisis response preferences were found. Interaction effects revealed: (a) more intense sympathetic feelings lead to higher likelihood of conative coping preference; (b) more sympathy at low intensity contributes to more preference of active cognitive coping and acceptance of accommodative organizational responses; and (c) more intense anger is related to acceptance of more defensive crisis response such as scapegoating.
Notes
Note. Cell entries are estimated marginal means. Pairwise planed comparisons are adjusted for Bonferroni multiple comparisons. Standard deviations are in parentheses. Significance for the multivariate F is based on estimates of the marginal means for the Wilk's Lamda statistic.
*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001. +p < .10.
Note. Cell entries are estimated marginal means. Standard deviations are in parentheses. Significance for the multivariate F is based on estimates of the marginal means for the Wilk's Lamda statistic.
*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001. +p < .10.