Fear appeal is a term used in psychology, sociology and marketing. It generally describes a strategy for motivating people to take a particular action, endorse a particular policy, or buy a particular product, by arousing fear. A well-known example in television advertising was a commercial employing the musical jingle: "Never pick up a stranger, pick up Prestone anti-freeze." This was accompanied by images of shadowy strangers (hitchhikers) who would presumably do one harm if picked up. The commercial's main appeal was not to the positive features of Prestone anti-freeze, but to the fear of what a "strange" brand might do.
A fear appeal is a persuasive message that attempts to arouse fear in order to divert behavior through the threat of impending danger or harm.[1] It presents a risk, presents the vulnerability to the risk, and then may, or may not suggest a form of protective action.[2]
It is assumed that through a fear appeal the perception of threatening stimuli creates fear arousal. The state of fear is believed to be an unpleasant emotional state that involves physiological arousal that motivates cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses directed towards alleviating the threat or reducing fear.[3] There are many different theoretical models of fear appeal messages. They include: the extended parallel process model, the drive theory, the subjective expected utility theory, the protection motivation theory, the health belief model, the theory of reasoned action, and the transtheoretical model. These models are widely used in substance abuse campaigns, sexual health programs, and many other general health contexts. The persuasive effect of fear appeals is thought to be influenced by several factors such as individual characteristics, self-efficacy, perception of norms, fear strength, perceived threat, perception of treatment efficacy, and defense mechanisms. Mixed results have been produced from studies that attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of fear appeals for behavior modification,[4] and a recent meta-analysis recommended caution in the use of fear appeals.[5]
^Maddux, J. E.; Rogers, R. W. (1983). "Protection motivation and self-efficacy: A revised theory of fear appeals and attitude change". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 19 (5): 469–479. doi:10.1016/0022-1031(83)90023-9.
^De_Hoog, N.; Stroebe, W.; John, B. F. (2005). "The impact of fear appeals on processing and acceptance of action recommendations". Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 31 (1): 24–33. doi:10.1177/0146167204271321. PMID 15574659. S2CID 12325133.
^Ruiter, R. A. C.; Abraham, C.; Kok, G. (2001). "Scary warnings and rational precautions: A review of the psychology of fear appeals". Psychology & Health. 16 (6): 613–630. doi:10.1080/08870440108405863. S2CID 143830782.
^Walkters, S (2000). "Drinking on campus: What do we know about reducing alcohol use among college students?". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 19 (3): 223–228. doi:10.1016/S0740-5472(00)00101-X. PMID 11027891.
^Peters, G. J. Y., Ruiter, R. A. C, & Kok, G. (2014). Threatening communication: a critical re-analysis and a revised meta-analytic test of fear appeal theory. Health Psychology Review, 7 (S1), S8-S31. doi:17437199.2012.703527
Fearappeal is a term used in psychology, sociology and marketing. It generally describes a strategy for motivating people to take a particular action...
by attempting to increase fear towards an alternative. An appeal to fear is related to the broader strategy of fearappeal and is a common tactic in marketing...
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unitarians and the saints were and are the fear of God." Fearappeal God-fearer Kenny, Charles (1882). "2. On the Holy Fear of God" . Half-Hours With The Saints...
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“fearappeals” is justified if the appeal can be shown to arouse fear. The fear pattern of an advertisement can largely be identified as either fear-relief...
Volte, Fred; Bolls, Paul D; Moore, Jensen (2010). "When a fearappeal isn't just a fearappeal: The effects of graphic anti-tobacco messages". Journal of...
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