The Impact of Vulnerability to and Severity of a Health Risk on Processing and Acceptance of Fear-Arousing Communications: A Meta-Analysis

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natascha de Hoog ◽  
Wolfgang Stroebe ◽  
John B. F. de Wit

This meta-analysis of studies of the persuasive impact of fear appeals evaluated the contribution of our stage model of the processing of fear-arousing communications relative to other fear appeal theories. In contrast to other theories, our stage model (a) specifies the cognitive processes underlying persuasion through fear-arousing communications, (b) proposes that threat-induced defensive processing does not interfere with the effectiveness of fear-arousing communications but actually contributes to it, and (c) predicts that vulnerability and severity manipulations have differential effects on measures of attitude as compared with intention and behavior. To evaluate these predictions, the authors expanded on previous meta-analyses by assessing the independent as well as joint effects of vulnerability to and severity of a risk, both on information processing and on measures of persuasion (attitude, intention, behavior). Overall, findings were consistent with the stage model. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Bigsby ◽  
Dolores Albarracín

Abstract Fear appeals are designed to inspire intended and actual actions to avert a danger. Although prior meta-analyses report that the average effect of fear appeals is moderately positive, the role of efficacy information is not completely understood. Prior work and fear appeal theories have argued that the presence of both response and self-efficacy information improves fear appeal success but the individual impacts of each have not been properly estimated. A meta-analysis (k = 158, N = 19,736) was conducted to examine the individual and combined effects of response and self-efficacy information contained in fear appeals on behavioral intentions and behaviors. Estimating the impact of fear appeals relative to low and no fear controls, the meta-analysis showed that fear appeals had a stronger influence on behavioral outcomes when they included positive response efficacy information but did not vary as a function of including self-efficacy information or negative response efficacy information.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlie D. Frowd ◽  
William B. Erickson ◽  
James M. Lampinen ◽  
Faye C. Skelton ◽  
Alex H. McIntyre ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of seven variables that emerge from forensic research on facial-composite construction and naming using contemporary police systems: EvoFIT, Feature and Sketch. Design/methodology/approach – The paper involves regression- and meta-analyses on composite-naming data from 23 studies that have followed procedures used by police practitioners for forensic face construction. The corpus for analyses contains 6,464 individual naming responses from 1,069 participants in 41 experimental conditions. Findings – The analyses reveal that composites constructed from the holistic EvoFIT system were over four-times more identifiable than composites from “Feature” (E-FIT and PRO-fit) and Sketch systems; Sketch was somewhat more effective than Feature systems. EvoFIT was more effective when internal features were created before rather than after selecting hair and the other (blurred) external features. Adding questions about the global appearance of the face (as part of the holistic-cognitive interview (H-CI)) gives a valuable improvement in naming over the standard face-recall cognitive interview (CI) for all three system types tested. The analysis also confirmed that composites were considerably less effective when constructed from a long (one to two days) compared with a short (0-3.5 hours) retention interval. Practical implications – Variables were assessed that are of importance to forensic practitioners who construct composites with witnesses and victims of crime. Originality/value – Using a large corpus of forensically-relevant data, the main result is that EvoFIT using the internal-features method of construction is superior; an H-CI administered prior to face construction is also advantageous (cf. face-recall CI) for EvoFIT as well as for two further contrasting production systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Falonn Contreras-Osorio ◽  
Christian Campos-Jara ◽  
Cristian Martínez-Salazar ◽  
Luis Chirosa-Ríos ◽  
Darío Martínez-García

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e100135
Author(s):  
Xue Ying Zhang ◽  
Jan Vollert ◽  
Emily S Sena ◽  
Andrew SC Rice ◽  
Nadia Soliman

ObjectiveThigmotaxis is an innate predator avoidance behaviour of rodents and is enhanced when animals are under stress. It is characterised by the preference of a rodent to seek shelter, rather than expose itself to the aversive open area. The behaviour has been proposed to be a measurable construct that can address the impact of pain on rodent behaviour. This systematic review will assess whether thigmotaxis can be influenced by experimental persistent pain and attenuated by pharmacological interventions in rodents.Search strategyWe will conduct search on three electronic databases to identify studies in which thigmotaxis was used as an outcome measure contextualised to a rodent model associated with persistent pain. All studies published until the date of the search will be considered.Screening and annotationTwo independent reviewers will screen studies based on the order of (1) titles and abstracts, and (2) full texts.Data management and reportingFor meta-analysis, we will extract thigmotactic behavioural data and calculate effect sizes. Effect sizes will be combined using a random-effects model. We will assess heterogeneity and identify sources of heterogeneity. A risk-of-bias assessment will be conducted to evaluate study quality. Publication bias will be assessed using funnel plots, Egger’s regression and trim-and-fill analysis. We will also extract stimulus-evoked limb withdrawal data to assess its correlation with thigmotaxis in the same animals. The evidence obtained will provide a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and limitations of using thigmotactic outcome measure in animal pain research so that future experimental designs can be optimised. We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines and disseminate the review findings through publication and conference presentation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Bennett ◽  
R. E. Walker ◽  
M. L. Blumfield ◽  
J. Ma ◽  
F. Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractDespite many interventions aiming to reduce excessive gestational weight gain (GWG), it is currently unclear the impact on infant anthropometric outcomes. The aim of this review was to evaluate offspring anthropometric outcomes in studies designed to reduce GWG. A systematic search of seven international databases, one clinical trial registry and three Chinese databases was conducted without date limits. Studies were categorised by intervention type: diet, physical activity (PA), lifestyle (diet + PA), other, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (diet, PA, lifestyle, metformin and other). Meta-analyses were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) for birthweight and birth length, and risk ratio (RR) for small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), macrosomia and low birth weight (LBW). Collectively, interventions reduced birthweight, risk of macrosomia and LGA by 71 g (WMD: −70.67, 95% CI −101.90 to −39.43,P<0.001), 16% (RR: 0.84, 95% CI 0.73–0.98,P=0.026) and 19% (RR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.96,P=0.015), respectively. Diet interventions decreased birthweight and LGA by 99 g (WMD −98.80, 95% CI −178.85 to −18.76,P=0.016) and 65% (RR: 0.35, 95% CI 0.17–0.72,P=0.004). PA interventions reduced the risk of macrosomia by 51% (RR: 0.49, 95% CI 0.26–0.92,P=0.036). In women with GDM, diet and lifestyle interventions reduced birthweight by 211 and 296 g, respectively (WMD: −210.93, 95% CI −374.77 to −46.71,P=0.012 and WMD:−295.93, 95% CI −501.76 to −90.10,P=0.005, respectively). Interventions designed to reduce excessive GWG lead to a small reduction in infant birthweight and risk of macrosomia and LGA, without influencing the risk of adverse outcomes including LBW and SGA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengzhi Sun ◽  
Fangfei Wang ◽  
Mengmeng Jiang

The lack of awareness regarding the risks of e-cigarettes and the misleading business propaganda caused an increase in the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people. The effective communication of the risks associated with e-cigarettes is an important part of current work to control their usage, and the use of fear appeals is an effective method to achieve good control. Based on the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and Appraisal-Tendency Framework (ATF), this article presents a 2 × 2 control experiment to test the impact of fear appeals on the perception of risk, emotions, and behavioral motivation of young people aged 35 and less. A total of 333 valid samples of adolescents and young adults were included to investigate the different response paths to fear appeals among young people of different age, sex and smoking history. The results show that high-threat, high-efficacy fear appeals are able to: (1) significantly increase young people’s perception of the e-cigarette-associated threats, (2) trigger fear and anger amongst young people, and (3) stimulate their self-protection motivation. Fear appeals do not have an impact on young people’s perception of efficacy, regardless of their level of threat and efficacy. High fear appeals can also increase young people’s perception of threat, which in turn enhances their anger and protection motivation. Furthermore, while this type of fear appeal can enhance young women’s perception of efficacy, it cannot enhance the perception of e-cigarette risks in adolescents, young men and young smokers, regardless of their level of threat and efficacy. Young non-smokers have a higher perception of the risks involved in the use of e-cigarettes compared with young smokers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Tian ◽  
Yan-Fei Jin ◽  
Zhao-Li Zhang ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Wei-Qing Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Enteral immunonutrition (EIN) has been extensively applied in cancer patients, however its role in esophageal cancer (EC) patients receiving esophagectomy remains unclear. We performed this network meta-analysis to investigate the impact of EIN on patients undergoing surgery for EC and further determine the optimal time of applying EIN.Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and China National Knowledgement Infrastructure (CNKI) to identify eligible studies. Categorical data was expressed as the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI), and continuous data was expressed as mean difference (MD) with 95% CI. Pair-wise and network meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of EIN on clinical outcomes using RevMan 5.3 and ADDIS V.1.16.8 softwares. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was calculated to rank all nutritional regimes.Results: Total 14 studies involving 1071 patients were included. Pair-wise meta-analysis indicated no difference between EIN regardless of the application time and standard EN (SEN), however subgroup analyses found that postoperative EIN was associated with decreased incidence of total infectious complications (OR=0.47; 95%CI=0.26 to 0.84; p=0.01) and pneumonia (OR=0.47; 95%CI=0.25 to 0.90; p=0.02) and shortened LOH (MD=-1.01; 95%CI=-1.44 to -0.57; p<0.001) compared to SEN, which were all supported by network meta-analyses. Ranking probability analysis further indicated that postoperative EIN has the highest probability of being the optimal option in terms of these three outcomes.Conclusions: Postoperative EIN should be preferentially utilized in EC patients undergoing esophagectomy because it has optimal potential of decreasing the risk of total infectious complications and pneumonia and shortening LOH.OSF registration number: 10.17605/OSF.IO/KJ9UY.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Genevsky ◽  
Brian Knutson ◽  
Carolyn Yoon

AbstractFundraising organizations face difficult decisions regarding how to construct solicitations for donations. While these aid requests often include multiple salient features, their interactive effect on donation behavior and the psychological mechanisms that underlie their combined influence remain unclear. In six studies utilizing online and laboratory samples, as well as hypothetical and real incentives, we examine whether and how request framing moderates the impact of positive and negative images on charitable giving. Across all studies and in a single-paper meta-analysis, the influence of affective images on giving was moderated by the valence of request framing, such that affectively matched features most effectively elicited donations. Further, donors’ experienced positive affect could account for this matching effect – even in cases of matched negative features. These findings suggest that organizations can increase the effectiveness of aid requests by focusing on the affective match of request features. This work integrates previously discrepant findings on the impact of affect on donations and holds both conceptual implications for how affect can influence giving and practical implications for organizations seeking to design optimally effective requests for aid.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S280-S281
Author(s):  
M Attauabi ◽  
M Zhao ◽  
F Bendtsen ◽  
J Burisch

Abstract Background Several studies have shown an association between inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] and immune-mediated diseases [IMIDs], but data on the impact of co-occurring IMIDs on IBD course are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of co-occurring IMIDs on IBD phenotype and disease course. Methods PubMed and EMBASE were searched from database inception through December 2018 and updated in October 2019 for studies reporting prevalences or odds, risks or hazard ratios of IBD-related disease outcomes in patients with and without co-existing IMIDs. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate summary prevalences and risks of the outcomes which included disease extension, IBD-related surgery and hospitalisation, malignancy, mortality and need of medication (biologic therapy, steroids and immunomodulators). IMIDs were stratified into primary sclerosing cholangitis [PSC] and ‘IMIDs other than PSC’. Results A total of 93 studies comprising 14,307 IBD patients with IMIDs and 3,409,914 IBD patients without IMIDs were included in the study. Summary risks and prevalences with 95% confidence intervals for each outcome are presented in figures 1 and 2, respectively. The following results are all significant (p &lt; 0.05). Compared with patients without co-occurring IMIDs, patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] and co-occurring IMIDs other than PSC more frequently received immunomodulators and steroids, and patients with Crohn’s disease [CD] and concomitant IMIDs other than PSC more often received biologic therapy. UC patients with co-existing IMIDs other than PSC more often underwent IBD-related surgery, while patients with CD and PSC received fewer surgeries. In addition, UC patients with co-occurring PSC were at increased risk for having extensive colitis, pancolitis, and malignancies. Patients with UC and PSC had a higher mortality rate, but no difference was found among patients with IMIDs other than PSC. PSC did not influence hospitalisation rates among IBD patients. Conclusion This meta-analysis found that IBD patients with co-existing IMIDs have a different disease course than patients without concomitant IMIDs. This study emphasises the importance of multidisciplinary care of IBD and that physicians caring for IBD patients need to be aware of IMIDs as a prognostic factor.


Rheumatology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 2199-2206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Pittam ◽  
Sonal Gupta ◽  
Nicholas L Harrison ◽  
Selina Robertson ◽  
David M Hughes ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To describe the prevalence of extra-articular manifestations—enthesitis, dactylitis, nail disease, uveitis and IBD—in PsA, and their impact on longitudinal disease outcomes. Methods We searched Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science using a predefined protocol in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies using imaging to define extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) were excluded. Where possible, we performed meta-analyses of prevalence estimates, reported as percentages (95% CI). Heterogeneity (I2 statistic) was examined according to study characteristics. Results We identified 65 studies amounting to a total of 163 299 PsA patients. Enthesitis was assessed in 29 studies with an average prevalence of 30% (95% CI: 24%, 38%). Dactylitis was reported in 35 studies with an average prevalence of 25% (95% CI: 20%, 31%). Nail disease was present in 60% (95% CI: 52%, 68%) across 26 studies, but definitions were often unclear. Uveitis (3.2%; 95% CI: 1.9%, 5.3%) and IBD (3.3%; 95% CI: 1.5%, 7.1%) were less common. Heterogeneity was high (&gt;95%) in all meta-analyses, but could not be explained by study characteristics. No studies examined the impact of EAMs on longitudinal disease outcomes, except that dactylitis increases radiographic progression. Conclusion Enthesitis, dactylitis and nail disease are highly prevalent in PsA, but not uveitis and IBD. EAM patterns differ from axial SpA despite their shared disease mechanisms, which may help further understand differences between spondyloarthritides. More studies are needed on the impact of EAMs on disease outcomes such as response to treatment.


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