Scary warnings and rational precautions: A review of the psychology of fear appeals

Ruiter, Robert A. C.; Abraham, Charles; Kok, Gerjo

doi:10.1080/08870440108405863

Cited by 523 publications

(421 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…43 Factors contributing to threat appraisals include perceived vulnerability to threats, perceived severity of threats, and fear related to threats. [43][44][45][46] Research findings have not yet clarified the proposition that adults may not take action to prevent falls if they do not think they are vulnerable to falling, do not perceive a threat of falling, and are not afraid of falling.…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions Related to Falls and Fall Prevention Among Hospitalized Adults

Twibell

Siela

Sproat

et al. 2015

American Journal of Critical Care

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Background Prevention of falls during hospitalization depends in part on the behaviors of alert patients to prevent falls. Research on acutely ill patients’ intentions to behave in ways that help prevent falls and on the patients’ perceptions related to falls is limited. Objective To explore hospitalized adults’ perceptions related to risk for falling, fear of falling, expectations of outcomes of falling, and intention to engage in behaviors to prevent falls. Methods Adult, alert, acutely ill inpatients (N = 158) at risk for falling completed a survey consisting of 4 scales and 3 single items. Nurses’ assessments and patients’ perceptions of the risk for falling were compared. Results Decreased intentions to engage in behaviors to prevent falls were correlated with patients’ increased confidence in their ability to perform high-risk behaviors without help and without falling (P < .001), decreased fear of falling (P < .001), and decreased perceived likelihood of adverse outcomes if they did fall (P < .001). Although nurses’ assessments indicated a risk for falls, 55.1% of the patients did not perceive a high likelihood of falling while hospitalized. Whereas 75% of patients intended to ask for help before getting out of bed, 48% were confident that they could get out of bed without help and without falling. Conclusions Although assessments may indicate a risk for falling, acutely ill inpatients may not perceive they are likely to fall. Patients’ intentions to engage in behaviors to prevent falls vary with the patients’ fall-related perceptions of confidence, outcomes, and fear related to falling.

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Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions Related to Falls and Fall Prevention Among Hospitalized Adults

Twibell

Siela

Sproat

et al. 2015

American Journal of Critical Care

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“…Ruiter, Abraham, & Kok, 2001;Smerecnik & Ruiter, 2010). Fear Appeals have been researched most often in the health literature to FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY 3 examine the effectiveness of messages designed to promote, for example, smoking cessation, safe sex practices, and self-examination for breast and testicular cancer (e.g., Anderson, 2000;Cismaru, Nagpal & Krishnamurthy, 2009;Feng & Burleson, 2008;Umphrey, 2004).…”

Section: Fear Appeals: Persuasive Messages Designed To Elicit Adaptivmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy

Putwain

Remedios

Symes

2015

Learning and Instruction

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Putwain, DW, Remedios, R and Symes, WExperiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/3500/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LJMU Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain.The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. LJMU Research Online Running head: FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACYThe appraisal of fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences a subsequent decline or increase in attainment value and academic self-efficacy FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY 1 AbstractFear appeals are persuasive messages that highlight the negative consequences of a particular course of action. Studies have shown that attainment value and academic self-efficacy predict how fear appeals are appraised. In this study we examined how the appraisal of fear appeals might also influence subsequent attainment value and academic self-efficacy. Self-report data were collected from 1433 students in their final two years of secondary education over three waves. Findings revealed that when students saw fear appeals as a challenge attainment value and academic self-efficacy were higher. When students saw fear appeals as a threat, attainment value and academic self-efficacy were lower. These results highlight the functional importance of how fear appeals are appraised. Challenge and threat appraisals were not mere by products of attainment value or academic self-efficacy but impacted on attainment value and academic self-efficacy; variables that are likely to make a critical impact on educational progress and attainment. We conclude that initial teacher education and teacher professional development programs would benefit from enhanced interpersonal and relational-skills training to enable teachers to judge more effectively how fear appeals are appraised.Keywords: fear appeals, attainment value, academic self-efficacy, high-stakes testing FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY 2The appraisal of fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences a subsequent decline or increase in attainment value and academic self-efficacy IntroductionThis study examines how academic self-efficacy and attainment value relate to the appraisal of fear appeals used by secondary school teachers prior to a high-stakes examination. Fear appeals are used by teachers as a motivational strategy; a 'scare tactic' to attem...

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“…A synergistic effect occurs if the combination of two or more BCTs has a more potent effect than would be expected by their additive effect. For instance, from literature on fear appeals, it has been suggested that Fear arousal as a strategy can only be effective when also Skill information is provided (Rogers, 1995;Ruiter, Abraham, & Kok, 2001). Thus, Fear arousal and Skill information do not enhance success when applied separately, but their combined use can be quite effective (Peters, Ruiter, & Kok, 2013).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Combinations of techniques that effectively change health behavior: Evidence from Meta-CART analysis.

Dusseldorp¹,

Genugten²,

Buuren³

et al. 2014

Health Psychology

120

116

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Objective: Many health-promoting interventions combine multiple behavior change techniques (BCTs) to maximize effectiveness. Although, in theory, BCTs can amplify each other, the available metaanalyses have not been able to identify specific combinations of techniques that provide synergistic effects. This study overcomes some of the shortcomings in the current methodology by applying classification and regression trees (CART) to meta-analytic data in a special way, referred to as Meta-CART. The aim was to identify particular combinations of BCTs that explain intervention success. Method: A reanalysis of data from Michie, Abraham, Whittington, McAteer, and Gupta (2009) was performed. These data included effect sizes from 122 interventions targeted at physical activity and healthy eating, and the coding of the interventions into 26 BCTs. A CART analysis was performed using the BCTs as predictors and treatment success (i.e., effect size) as outcome. A subgroup meta-analysis using a mixed effects model was performed to compare the treatment effect in the subgroups found by CART. Results: Meta-CART identified the following most effective combinations: Provide information about behavior-health link with Prompt intention formation (mean effect size g ϭ 0.46), and Provide information about behavior-health link with Provide information on consequences and Use of follow-up prompts (g ϭ 0.44). Least effective interventions were those using Provide feedback on performance without using Provide instruction (g ϭ 0.05). Conclusions: Specific combinations of BCTs increase the likelihood of achieving change in health behavior, whereas other combinations decrease this likelihood. Meta-CART successfully identified these combinations and thus provides a viable methodology in the context of meta-analysis.

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Scary warnings and rational precautions: A review of the psychology of fear appeals

Cited by 523 publications

References 80 publications

Perceptions Related to Falls and Fall Prevention Among Hospitalized Adults

Perceptions Related to Falls and Fall Prevention Among Hospitalized Adults

Experiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy

Combinations of techniques that effectively change health behavior: Evidence from Meta-CART analysis.

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