Threat Orientation Model: Dispositional and Situational Influences on Reactions to Potential Threats

威胁定向模型：性格和情境对潜在威胁反应的影响

• 批准号: 0620602
• 负责人: Suzanne Thompson
• 金额: $ 28.74万
• 依托单位: Pomona College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-10-01 至 2011-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0620602&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Threat; Orientation; Model; Dispositional; Situational

Responses to threat information have important consequences for individuals and for society. Accident rates, health costs, insurance rates, workmen's compensation costs, and other societal indicators are influenced by the preventive actions of individuals. Thus it is critically important to understand how people respond to information about a potential threat. Little is known about individual differences in assessing personal risk when given information about a threat. This grant will test the Threat Orientation model of responses to threat which proposes three basic individual orientations to threat. People use either a control-based response which involves identifying the personal relevance and controllability of the risk and taking actions to reduce the risk; a denial-based response which involves denying personal risk and not taking preventive actions; or a heightened sensitivity-based response which involves acute sensitivity to vulnerability and risk and an overestimation of personal risk.Previous research has developed a questionnaire to measure an individual's threat orientation. The studies in this grant will further establish the validity of the scale using a national random sample and will examine how an individual's threat orientation affects processing of information about a potential threat and whether protective action is taken. One study focuses on those with a denial-based orientation and tests several ways to reduce denial so information about threat is attended to. Another study targets those with a heightened sensitivity orientation to understand how anxiety can lead to an inappropriate response to threat. Finally, the information gathered from the studies will be used to develop and test the effectiveness of several public service messages about specific threats such as identity theft or overexposure to the sun. This research will further the development of sound science-based theory about responses to threat and will provide information to form the basis for effective interventions and messages about potential threats.

对威胁信息的反应对个人和社会都有重要影响。事故率、医疗费用、保险费率、工人赔偿费用和其他社会指标都受到个人预防行动的影响。因此，了解人们如何对潜在威胁的信息做出反应至关重要。当获得有关威胁的信息时，人们对评估个人风险的个体差异知之甚少。该补助金将测试对威胁的反应的威胁取向模型，该模型提出了三个基本的个人威胁取向。人们使用基于控制的反应，包括识别个人相关性和风险的可控性，并采取行动减少风险;基于否认的反应，包括否认个人风险，不采取预防措施;或是高度敏感基于反应，涉及对脆弱性和风险的急性敏感性以及对个人风险的高估。以前的研究开发了一个问卷来测量个人的威胁取向。这项研究将使用全国随机抽样进一步确定该量表的有效性，并将研究个人的威胁取向如何影响对潜在威胁的信息处理以及是否采取保护行动。 一项研究关注的是那些有否认倾向的人，并测试了几种减少否认的方法，以便关注有关威胁的信息。另一项研究针对那些具有高度敏感性取向的人，以了解焦虑如何导致对威胁的不适当反应。最后，从研究中收集的信息将用于制定和测试关于身份盗窃或过度暴露于阳光等具体威胁的几项公共服务信息的有效性。这项研究将进一步发展关于应对威胁的健全的科学理论，并将提供信息，为有效干预和关于潜在威胁的信息奠定基础。