The IDEA Model as a Best Practice for Effective Instructional Risk and Crisis Communication

An IDEA Model Analysis of Instructional Risk Communication in the Time of Ebola

“…More specifically, some of the major challenges communicators face when instructing nonscientific publics during a risk or crisis event focus on (in)accessibility of some people and groups to receive the messages delivered via certain channels, lack of motivation among some people and groups to attend to them, misinformation in and misinterpretation of messages, distrust of the message source, and a lack of clarity about what actions to take for self-protection. Consequently, instructional risk and crisis communication is emerging as an insightful body of research for measuring the affective, cognitive, and behavioral learning outcome effectiveness of such messages (e.g., Frisby, Sellnow, Lane, Veil, & Sellnow, 2013;Frisby, Veil, & Sellnow, 2014;D. D. Sellnow, Lane, Sellnow, & Littlefield, 2017;D.…”

Toward a global understanding of the effects of the IDEA model for designing instructional risk and crisis messages: A food contamination experiment in Sweden

“…In more specific manner, we replicated several experiments focused on contaminated ground beef done in the United States. At last, we compare our conclusions with those discovered in similar studies conducted in the United States to ascertain whether the model might be useful for instructional risk and crisis communication message design in Sweden, as well (Frisby, Sellnow, Lane, Veil, & Sellnow, ; Littlefield et al., ; Sellnow, Lane, Sellnow, & Littlefield, ; Sellnow, Lane et al., ).…”

“…For instance, disaster sociologists have long studied the importance of such instructional communication in warnings for impending natural disasters (Mileti, ; Mileti & Sorenson, ) and industrial crises (Mileti & Peek, ). Moreover, existing research confirms that instructional messages are most compelling when they (a) are presented through channels easily accessed by those at greatest risk, (b) clearly explain the nature of the risk and its relevance, and (c) offer specific actionable instructions to take for self‐protection (Mileti & Peek, ; Sellnow, Iverson, & Sellnow, ; Sellnow & Sellnow, in press; Sellnow, Lane et al., , ; Sellnow, Parker et al., ). Combined, these components provide guidelines for crisis communicators to follow when instructing local publics in ways that “adapt to the reality of crises as increasingly transnational phenomena that demand a culturally sensitive approach to crisis communication” (Srugies, , p. 505).…”

“…Based on a series of experimental message‐testing studies using these four stages as the design framework and the three learning outcome variables as measures, the IDEA model (see Figure ) ultimately emerged as an effective experiential learning message design model for risk and crisis communication (Frisby, Veil, & Sellnow, ; Frisby et al., ; Littlefield et al., ; Sellnow, Sellnow, Lane, & Littlefield, ; Sellnow, Lane et al., ; Sellnow, Iverson et al., ; Sellnow, Lane et al., ; Sellnow, Parker et al., ). In essence, the IDEA model condenses the four stages proposed by Kolb into three message content components (internalization, explanation, and action) and a distribution component focused on the communication channels through which to send messages targeting disparate audiences (Sellnow & Sellnow, , in press).…”

“…At last, the IDEA model has been used to design messages in a variety of risk and crisis events including natural disasters, health pandemics, agricultural biotechnology, animal diseases and biosecurity, and food contaminations (Sellnow & Sellnow; ; in press). In essence, the IDEA model addresses a critical need in risk and crisis communication by extending experiential learning theory in ways that establish its utility in instruction beyond classroom contexts (Sellnow, Limperos et al., ), as well as expanding existing crisis communication and disaster warning literature to include a variety of risk and crisis situations that may have unprecedented risks (Sellnow, Sellnow, Helsel, Martin, & Parker, ; Sellnow, Iverson et al., ; Sellnow, Lane et al., ; Sellnow, Parker et al., ; Sellnow‐Richmond, George, & Sellnow, ). The following paragraphs explain each aspect of the IDEA model more fully using examples from previous research.…”