TY - JOUR
T1 - Fear appeals motivate acceptance of recommendations: evidence for a positive bias in the processing of persuasive messages
AU - Das, E.
AU - de Wit, J.B.F.
AU - Stroebe, W.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - Three experiments are reported that tested the hypothesis that the use of fear appeals in health persuasion may lead to positively biased systematic processing of a subsequent action recommendation aimed at reducing the health threat and, consequently, to more persuasion, regardless of the quality of the arguments in the recommendation. The levels of participants' vulnerability to as well as the seventy of a health risk were varied independently, followed by a manipulation of the quality of the arguments in the subsequent action recommendation. The dependent variables included measures of persuasion (attitude, intention, and action), negative affect, and cognitive responses. The results show that participants who felt vulnerable to the health threat were more persuaded, experienced more negative emotions, and had more favorable cognitive responses. Both negative emotions concerning one's vulnerability and positive thoughts concerning the recommendation mediated the effects of vulnerability on persuasion. © 2003 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.
AB - Three experiments are reported that tested the hypothesis that the use of fear appeals in health persuasion may lead to positively biased systematic processing of a subsequent action recommendation aimed at reducing the health threat and, consequently, to more persuasion, regardless of the quality of the arguments in the recommendation. The levels of participants' vulnerability to as well as the seventy of a health risk were varied independently, followed by a manipulation of the quality of the arguments in the subsequent action recommendation. The dependent variables included measures of persuasion (attitude, intention, and action), negative affect, and cognitive responses. The results show that participants who felt vulnerable to the health threat were more persuaded, experienced more negative emotions, and had more favorable cognitive responses. Both negative emotions concerning one's vulnerability and positive thoughts concerning the recommendation mediated the effects of vulnerability on persuasion. © 2003 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.
U2 - 10.1177/0146167203029005009
DO - 10.1177/0146167203029005009
M3 - Article
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 29
SP - 650
EP - 664
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
IS - 5
ER -