Threat and Efficacy Uncertainty in News Coverage About Bed Bugs as Unique Predictors of Information Seeking and Avoidance: An Extension of the EPPM

Abstract

An experiment was conducted from the perspective of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) investigating readers' responses to print news stories about the issue of bed bugs. Stories containing reference to (a) the threat of bed bugs and (b) efficacy of the solution were manipulated to vary the level of certainty with which the variables were discussed. Results suggest that stories referencing uncertainty regarding presence of the bed-bug threat may be more likely to motivate intention to seek information than stories referencing certainty of the threat. Results also suggest that stories referencing uncertainty regarding feasibility/effectiveness of proposed solutions may be more likely to motivate intention to avoid information than stories referencing certainty of proposed solutions. Given that information avoidance is one of various types of maladaptive responses to fear appeal messages (according to EPPM), results suggest that the presence of uncertainty when discussing solutions to threats in news stories might result in problematic avoidance responses that discourage people from taking protective action.

Notes

¹Marginally significant.

²Given that this issue has received a large amount of news coverage, prior exposure may have interacted with the experimental stimuli. It may be of use to replicate the study using a novel topic that has not yet received attention in the news media. We believe that this potential noise in the present analysis makes it a particularly conservative test of the proposed processes, strengthening the findings.