Effect of fear appeals on behavioral intention in coping with threats to health/safety

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This study was designed to clarify the effect of fear appeals on behavioral intention in coping with threats to health/safely. In study 1, the refutation effect of fear appeals on precedent counterpersuasion was examined. High and low fear appeals showed equivalent and significant effect when counterpersuasion had not preceded them, but only the high fear appeal produced significant effect when counterpersuasion had preceded. In study 2, the resisting effect of fear appeals on subsequent counterpersuasion was examined. High fear appeal showed greater resistance to subsequent counterpersuasion than low fear appeal, and amount of the resisting effect changed according to the type of arguments that composed counterpersuasion. In study 3, factors determining on the persuasion impact of fear appeal was examined by using the framework of the protection motivation theory. Fear appeal strengthened the relationship between the seven cognitive variables (offered by the theory) and behavioral intentions to prevent HIV or attitudes toward PWA. In study 4, a comparison of four models on fear appeals was conducted. The perceived threat control model predicted the effects of fear appeals better than the other three models. In study 5, the persuasive effect of fear appeals that aimed at the receiver or his/her family as the threat sufferer (threat-target) was examined. Fear appeals were more effective in the family condition than in the receiver condition. In study 6, the effect of forewarnings on behavioral intention change, before and after fear appeal persuasion, was examined. Forewarnings facilitated the behavioral intention change before the presentation of high fear appeal but inhibited the change after its presentation, whereas forewarnings did not influence the change either before or after the presentation of tow fear appeal.