'Don't Make My Mistake': On the Processing of Narrative Fear Appeals

Autor: Ooms, Joëlle A., Jansen, Carel J. M., Hommes, Saar, Hoeks, John C. J.
Přispěvatelé: Discourse and Communication (DISCO)
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2017
Zdroj: International Journal of Communication, 11:11, 4924-4945
ISSN: 1932-8036
Popis: In this study, we examined the mechanism underlying the processing of narrative fear appeals. Participants (N = 564) read a story about a protagonist dealing with the consequences of cancer (Study 1: testicular cancer; Study 2: breast cancer; Study 3: skin cancer). Path analysis revealed that (1) attitude and behavioral intention toward performing self-exams were directly and positively associated with a form of transportation we identified as attention-focused transportation; (2) this form of transportation was positively associated with four emotions (fear, sadness, surprise, and compassion), whereas identification positively correlated with only one emotion (compassion); and (3) only the emotion of fear was a predictor of intention to perform self-exams. Taken together, these findings suggest that attention-focused transportation is a very important factor in the processing of narrative fear appeals, and that it can even, under some circumstances, replace the persuasive power of fear.
Databáze: OpenAIRE