The effects of message source and fear appeal on young adults’ response to Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) messages in Singapore

ABSTRACT

This study examines the psychological processes that determine how fear appeal and sponsor type impact young adults’ responses to public campaigns against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in Singapore. The results showed that fear appeal in the STD messages increased the level of anger arousal, while the STD messages sponsored by a commercial company versus a government agency increased the level of negative cognitions among participants. The interaction between fear appeal and sponsor type was found in both affective and cognitive responses of psychological reactance against the STD messages.

KEYWORDS:

• Message source
• Sexually Transimitted Diseases (STDs)
• fear appeal
• psychological reactance
• Singapore < region

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Hyo Jung Kim (Ph.D., University of Missouri - Columbia, 2010) is an Assistant Professor at Kepco International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS), South Korea. She is interested in examining the cognitive and affective mechanisms in health, science, and risk communication.

Wonsun Shin (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 2010) is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on youth and digital media, parental mediation, consumer socialisation, and marketing communications.