Fear appeal effectiveness in antismoking campaigns: do anger and smoking matter?

Background: Cigarette consumption remains high and increasing in Indonesia. The government implemented a pictorial health warnings requirement of 40% cover of the pack (front and back) using fear appeal messages. Objective: Our study aims to assess the effectiveness of cigarette pictorial health warnings by message and size. Methods: We conducted a mixed factorial experiment online study using three messaging approaches (fear vs. guilt vs. financial loss) and two picture sizes (40% vs. 75%) among 209 smoking participants. Sociodemographic variables included gender, education, income, employment status, and marital status. Data analysis used a mixed model ANOVA to see the main effect and interaction effect on dependent variables. For subgroup analysis, we used t-test and one-way ANOVA. All analyzes were in SPSS 22. Results: We found significant differences in the three message types, in which fear and guilt have higher effectiveness than financial loss. By subgroup, the guilt message was more compelling among female smokers and married smokers. The financial loss message was effective among lower-income smokers. We found no difference in pictorial health warning effectiveness by image size, potentially because participants could zoom in/out the cigarette pack image on the screen. Conclusions: Our finding supports more diverse message types in pictorial health warnings in Indonesia and other countries.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Program Context on Motivational System Activation and Subsequent Effects on Processing a Fear Appeal

Journal of Advertising ◽

10.2753/joa0091-3367350305 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 67-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Robert F. Potter ◽

Michael S. LaTour ◽

Kathryn A. Braun-LaTour ◽

Tom Reichert

Keyword(s):

Fear Appeal ◽

Motivational System ◽

System Activation ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Persuading end users to act cautiously online: a fear appeals study on phishing

Information and Computer Security ◽

10.1108/ics-03-2018-0038 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 264-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jurjen Jansen ◽

Paul van Schaik

Keyword(s):

Information Sharing ◽

Fear Appeals ◽

Future Research ◽

Protection Motivation ◽

Online Information ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

Content Type ◽

Phishing Attacks ◽

Internet Users ◽

Post Test

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the protection motivation theory (PMT) in the context of fear appeal interventions to reduce the threat of phishing attacks. In addition, it was tested to what extent the model relations are equivalent across fear appeal conditions and across time. Design/methodology/approach A pre-test post-test design was used. In the pre-test, 1,201 internet users filled out an online survey and were presented with one of three fear appeal conditions: strong fear appeal, weak fear appeal and control condition. Arguments regarding vulnerability of phishing attacks and response efficacy of vigilant online information-sharing behaviour were manipulated in the fear appeals. In the post-test, data were collected from 786 internet users and analysed with partial least squares path modelling. Findings The study found that PMT model relations hold in the domain of phishing. Self-efficacy and fear were the most important predictors of protection motivation. In general, the model results were equivalent across conditions and across time. Practical Implications It is important to consider online information-sharing behaviour because it facilitates the occurrence and success of phishing attacks. The results give practitioners more insight into important factors to address in the design of preventative measures to reduce the success of phishing attacks. Future research is needed to test how fear appeals work in real-world settings and over longer periods. Originality/value This paper is a substantial adaptation of a previous conference paper (Jansen and Van Schaik, 2017a, b).

Download Full-text

Joking about cancer as an avoidance strategy among US adults

Health Promotion International ◽

10.1093/heapro/dax087 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 420-428 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nick Carcioppolo ◽

Kevin K John ◽

Jakob D Jensen ◽

Andy J King

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Older Adults ◽

Mediation Analysis ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Moderated Mediation ◽

Fear Appeals ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

Biological Sex ◽

Avoidance Strategies ◽

Avoidance Strategy

Summary Findings from years of research on fear appeals suggest that individuals with low efficacy utilize avoidance strategies when they perceive a significant threat—a process called fear control. Some research suggests that joking could be an avoidance strategy. The current study identifies conditions in which people are more likely to joke about colorectal cancer and explores how this behavior may be associated with screening avoidance. Older adults (N = 209) recruited from eight different worksites completed a survey measuring fear appeal constructs and enactment of colorectal cancer-related joking. Results of a moderated mediation analysis suggest that men were more likely to joke about colorectal cancer than women, particularly if they perceived significant threat but had limited self-efficacy, signifying fear control. Results support prior fear appeal research, suggesting that an increase in joking behavior concerning colorectal cancer may be indicative of screening avoidance, and describe belief-based mechanisms that explain differences between biological sex and joking.

Download Full-text

How Can E-Cigarette Fear Appeals Improve the Perceived Threat, Fear, Anger, and Protection Motivation of Young People

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.676363 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Chengzhi Sun ◽

Fangfei Wang ◽

Mengmeng Jiang

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Process Model ◽

Good Control ◽

Fear Appeals ◽

Smoking History ◽

Protection Motivation ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

People’S Perception ◽

Young Smokers ◽

The Impact

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.

Download Full-text

Fear vs humor appeals: a comparative study of children's responses to anti-smoking advertisements

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration ◽

10.1108/apjba-04-2021-0134 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Valentina Nicolini ◽

Fabio Cassia

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Intentions ◽

Social Issues ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Youth Smoking ◽

Lifestyle Habits ◽

Content Type ◽

Different Types ◽

The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to examine the different effects that the fear and humor appeals in anti-smoking advertisements for children have on their affective reactions to the advertisements, on their beliefs about smoking and on their behavioral intentions to smoke.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents the findings of a qualitative research study conducted in Italy with children aged from 8 to 11 years.FindingsThe results indicated that the humor appeal is a useful method for conveying a social theme in a pleasant way and creating a likable character that becomes an example for children to imitate; however, it is necessary to employ the fear appeal to make children reflect carefully about the negative consequences of smoking.Research limitations/implicationsThis study examined only children's behavioral intentions derived from anti-smoking advertisements, but future research should also examine their real behaviors after a period following repeated viewing of public service announcements about smoking prevention or other social issues.Practical implicationsUnderstanding how different types of appeals can influence children represents an important result for the prevention of youth smoking and the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits during childhood.Social implicationsUnderstanding how different types of appeals can influence children represents an important result for the prevention of youth smoking and the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits during childhood.Originality/valueFew studies have examined the impact of social advertisements on children, and particularly little is known about the effectiveness of fear appeals on this group.

Download Full-text

Self- versus other-directed outcomes, Machiavellianism, and hypothetical distance in COVID-19 antipandemic messages

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.10109 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Yidan Huang ◽

Shu Yang ◽

JiaMin Dai

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Information ◽

Process Model ◽

Online Survey ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

Positive Health ◽

Perceived Severity ◽

Public Health Information ◽

Effective Development ◽

Health Intentions

Public health information with a fear appeal is often used to promote people's positive health intentions. Anchored by the extended parallel process model and trait activation theory, in this study we examined the effects of self- versus other-directed outcomes, Machiavellianism, and hypothetical distance on the effectiveness of fear-appeal information in the context of COVID-19. In an online survey of 303 people in Wuhan, China, we found that respondents high in Machiavellianism reported stronger antipandemic intentions in response to a self-directed compared to an other-directed outcome message. This effect was actualized through the trait of Machiavellianism, moderated by hypothetical distance, and mediated by perceived severity. Our findings have implications for the effective development and delivery of public health information for specific groups, and for encouraging more detailed exploration of personality in relation to epidemiology.

Download Full-text

The Role of Agency and Threat-Immediacy in Interactive Digital Narrative Fear Appeals for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse: An Empirical Study Among College Students (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.32218 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hendrik Engelbrecht ◽

Nynke van der Laan ◽

Renske van Enschot ◽

Emiel Krahmer

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Abuse ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Communication Theory ◽

Efficacy Beliefs ◽

Fear Appeals ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

Digital Narrative

BACKGROUND Serious games for the training of prevention behaviors have been widely recognized as a potentially valuable tool for adolescents and young adults across a variety of risk behaviors. However, the role of agency, as a distinguishing factor from traditional health interventions, has seldomly been isolated and grounded in persuasive health communication theory. Fear appeals have different effects on intentions to perform a prevention behavior depending on the immediacy of the consequences. Looking into how to increase self-efficacy beliefs for health behavior with distant consequences is a first step to improving game-based interventions for adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE The current study investigated the effect of agency on self-efficacy and intention to drink less alcohol in an interactive digital narrative fear appeal. Further, the communicated immediacy of threat outcomes was evaluated as a potential moderator of the effect of agency on self-efficacy. METHODS An experimental study was conducted among university students (N=178). Participants were presented with a fear appeal outlining the consequences of alcohol abuse in an interactive narrative format. Participants either had perceived control over the outcome of the narrative scenario (high-agency) or no control over the outcome (low-agency). The threat was either framed as a short-term or long-term negative health outcome resulting from the execution of the risk behavior (drinking too much alcohol). RESULTS Self-efficacy and intention to limit alcohol intake were not influenced by the agency manipulation. Self-efficacy was shown to be a significant predictor of behavioral intention. Immediacy of the threat did not moderate the relationship between agency and self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Although the agency manipulation was successful, we could not find evidence for an effect of agency or threat immediacy on self-efficacy. The implications for different operationalizations of different agency concepts is discussed, as well as the malleability of self-efficacy beliefs for long-term threats. The usage of repeated, versus single, interventions and different threat types (e.g., health and social threats) should be tested empirically to establish a way forward for diversifying intervention approaches.

Download Full-text

Perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, dispositional optimism and intention to adopt preventive health behaviour: an experiment with anti-smoking advertising

Journal of Social Marketing ◽

10.1108/jsocm-08-2020-0151 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Payal S. Kapoor ◽

Vanshita Singhal

Keyword(s):

Health Behaviour ◽

Dispositional Optimism ◽

Smoking Behaviour ◽

Preventive Health ◽

Fear Appeal ◽

Content Type ◽

Intention To Adopt ◽

The Us ◽

Urge To Smoke ◽

Preventive Health Behaviour

Purpose High dispositional optimism is often associated with people engaging in behaviour that has adverse effects on their health such as smoking. This study aims to investigate people’s intention to adopt preventive health behaviour by observing the effectiveness of anti-smoking ads during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Two studies have been carried out, first with a UK sample and second with the US sample. The studies examined the effectiveness of anti-smoking ad (appeal: high fear vs low fear), smoking behaviour elicited perception of vulnerability to COVID-19 and dispositional optimism on lowering people’s urge to smoke. Findings The study findings revealed a high fear appeal ad is more effective in lowering people’s urge to smoke. However, this association is significantly mediated by perception of vulnerability to COVID-19. Further, high dispositional optimism was found to moderate the effect of the anti-smoking ad on the perception of vulnerability to COVID-19, although a comparatively smaller effect was observed for the UK sample. Finally, high dispositional optimism significantly moderated the mediation of vulnerability to COVID-19 on lower urge to smoke only for the US sample. Originality/value The study highlights a need for a greater collaborative effort by the public, government, firms in the business of nicotine replacement solutions, socially responsible cigarette and tobacco manufacturing firms and health agencies that may lead to increased preventive health behaviour during the ongoing pandemic.

Download Full-text