Designing Instructional Crisis Messages for College Emergency Notification Systems: A Test of the IDEA Model

ABSTRACT

The internalization, distribution, explanation, and action (IDEA) model aids message designers in crafting effective instructional risk and crisis messages. This study applies the IDEA model to a new context (emergency notification systems on college campuses) using a different message length (short-written form). An experiment (N = 124) using manipulation checks revealed that internalization, explanation, and action can be successfully manipulated in short-written form. The IDEA message did not result in greater perceived response efficacy at posttest, but trended higher on learning outcomes than the standard and control conditions, although not significantly. Limitations and implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• IDEA model
• risk and crisis communication
• instructional communication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cailin M. Kuchenbecker

Cailin M. Kuchenbecker (PhD candidate in the School of Communication, Chapman University)

Sara LaBelle

Sara LaBelle (PhD, West Virginia University; Associate Professor in the School of Communication, Chapman University)