Fear appeals to promote better health behaviors: an investigation of potential mediators

Abstract

Background: Fear appeals are widely used in health communication, despite conflicting views on their effectiveness. Unresolved issues include possible mediation mechanisms and the effect of defensive reactions aimed at controlling a perceived danger. Methods: The present study compared the impact of three versions of an existing online course on how to prevent noncommunicable diseases. Participants, recruited in South America via a crowdsourcing platform, were divided randomly between three versions of the course -'threat only'/'threat plus coping information'/'coping information plus threat' (reverse order). We then asked them to complete a questionnaire measuring perceived efficacy, perceived threat, defensive reactions, and intention to change unhealthy behaviors. Results: Using a serial parallel mediation model to test the course's impact on our dependent variables did not reveal any significant differences between the three versions. Perceived efficacy was positively associated with intention to change behavior, as well as with lower suppression, lower reappraisal, and greater denial. Suppression was the only defensive reaction to be associated with intention to change behavior: greater suppression was linked to less intention to change. Conclusions: Our results open interesting perspectives for research into defensive reactions.

Public knowledge about dementia risk reduction in Norway

“…On the other hand, the scary thought of dementia was the strongest positive cue and might be a strong motivational force for lifestyle changes at an individual level. Fear might promote better health behaviours, but on the other hand defensive reactions might also be linked to less intentions to change behaviour [ 23 ]. The major differences between the target groups in motivational factors must also be taken into account when planning upcoming campaigns.…”

The role of trust in government in crisis management: Fear of COVID‐19 and compliance with social distancing

“…Although fear and compliance have been extensively researched, this topic still attracts a great deal of scholarly interest, especially the mediation process, which deserves more work (Moussaoui et al, 2021). Therefore, scholars tried to explain this contradiction in the results by integrating other variables in this relationship as mediators, for example, intolerance of uncertainty, depression, anxiety, and stress (Bakioğlu et al, 2021), anxiety and panic (Cypryańska & Nezlek, 2020), posttraumatic stress symptoms and psychological distress (Ayandele et al, 2021), perceived risk (Zigler et al, 2020), self‐efficacy (Zhen et al, 2020), perceived efficacy and perceived threat (Moussaoui et al, 2021), information receptivity, perceived knowledge and perceived self‐efficacy (Roberts & David, 2021), and political trust (Wang et al, 2021). This study investigates the moderating impact of trust, especially trust in government, to explain the mixed findings of the relationship between fear and compliance behavior.…”

Stone diet and dietary change: understanding determinants for dietary change behaviour in patients following urinary stones

“…39 Therefore, fear appeals approach should be considered as one of the health education strategies to promote dietary-related health engagement among stone patients. 40,41 Nevertheless, participants reported that their psychological suffering from illness burden and a desire for positive treatment outcomes induced a strong determination in them to engage in dietary therapy during active treatment of the disease. Their determination was also influenced by their background whereby most of them were in the productive age group and breadwinner of the family.…”