Fear appeals to promote better health behaviors

"Fear appeals to promote better health behaviors: an investigation of potential mediators"

Analysis:

This study wanted to highlight first how there are different agencies that do and don't use fear appeal due to the ongoing arguments that they may not be effective. After recruiting 230 subjects, they found that portraying a highly effective efficacy is crucial for good results when using fear appeal towards individuals. 

Important Findings:

"In fact, research into whether or not fear appeals are effective has failed to produce unequivocal findings, leading to an ongoing debate among scholars that dates back as least as far as Higbee (1969). "

"-Products that are perceived to overcome a specific risk or dangers, fomenting fear, and more successful in reducing perceptions of danger, attract higher purchases (Mcdaniel & Zeithaml, 1984). We based on this to predict that, in the wake of the continuous spread of the deadly COVID-19;"

-Conclusion: "Our results confirm the importance of high perceived efficacy in triggering intentions to change behavior. They also support the idea that defensive reactions might not always hinder change toward more healthier habits."

Claxton, N., Desrichard, O., & Moussaoui, L. S. (2021, July 6). Fear appeals to promote better health behaviors: an investigation of potential mediators. Taylor & Francis Online. Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21642850.2021.1947290