Prior Knowledge and Health Messages: An Examination of Affect as Heuristics and Information as Systematic Processing for Fear Appeals

Abstract

This study examines the role prior knowledge plays in the cognitive processing of and response to fear appeals. The Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) is used as the theoretical frame with results strengthening the HSM by demonstrating that having prior knowledge about a topic reduced the impact of fear arousal and led to systematic processing. Conversely, a lack of prior knowledge resulted in high fear arousal and heuristic processing. The influence of prior knowledge on systematic and heuristic processing provides greater clarity to the HSM as well as suggests future directions for health campaign practitioners that use fear appeals.