Fear and attitude change.

DeWolfe, Alan S.; Governale, Catherine N.

doi:10.1037/h0041369

Cited by 26 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Findings from previous studies of feararousing appeals seem largely consistent with the revised formulation. In the investigation by DeWolfe and Governale (1964), the nurses undergoing the tuberculosis assignment probably perceived equal efficacy. The perceived magnitude and likelihood of the harm might have been greater among those experiencing high fear, who showed more attitude change.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…For instance, Haeffner (1956), using communications espousing the desirability for nuclear weapons control, found some evidence that high fear produced greater resistance to attitude change. DeWolfe and Governale (1964) found through correlational analysis that high fear facilitated attitude change among student nurses undergoing a 6-week tuberculosis assignment.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Fear arousal, efficacy, and imminency.

Chu¹

1966

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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A general formulation on the effects of fear-arousing appeals was proposed and tested, the variables being magnitude of loss, likelihood of loss, efficacy of solution, and imminency of loss. Ss were 1,204 school children in 18 experimental and 2 control groups. The fear was the danger of roundworms, presented in talks of different versions. Effects of the appeals, measured by the number of children wanting to take the drug, were found to be positive functions of magnitude and likelihood of loss, and efficacy of solution. The imminency effects need further study. Mild appeals, though less effective, were more resistant to counterpropaganda. Ss tended to minimize the threat when the solution was not efficacious.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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confidence: 99%

Fear arousal, efficacy, and imminency.

Chu¹

1966

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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“…Besides differences in age and education, there is some evidence that sex differences between subjects may account partially for differences in reactions to fear arousal (Fischer et al, 1967;. Few studies have considered this aspect of subject differences, even though one study used female subjects only (DeWolfe & Governdale, 1964) and several studies have used male subjects only (Duke, 1967;Leventhal & Perloe, 1962;Leventhal & Trembly, 1968;Moltz & Thistlethwaite, 19SS;Powell, 1965).…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A final possible source of inconsistency in the threat-appeal findings lies in the criterion of persuasive effectiveness of a threat appeal. This may be an important practical consideration because, for example, in most applied settings a communication which changes only Dabbs & Leventhal (1966), Fischer et al (1967), Gollob & Dittes (196S), Janis & Milholland (1954), Janis & Terwilliger (1962), , Leventhal & Perloe (1962), , Nunnally & Bobren (1959) Hewgill & Miller (1965, Millman (1968), Powell (1965), Powell & Miller (1967), Robbins (1962a, 1962b) Berkowitz & Cottingham (1960, Duke (1967), Goldstein (1959), Insko et al (1965), Janis & Feshbach (1953), Janis & Feshbach (1954), Leventhal & Singer (1966), Moltz & Thistlethwaite (1955) Leventhal & Niles (1964, Leventhal & Niles (1965), Leventhal & Trembly (1968), Leventhal & Watts (1966), Leventhal et al (1967) Chu (1966, Cohen (1957), Stern et al (1965) Cohen (1957), DeWolfe & Governdale (1964), Frandsen (1963), Gollob & Dittes (1965), Hewgill & Miller (1965), Janis & Terwilliger (1962), Leventhal & Perloe (1962), Millman (1968),…”

Section: Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Fifteen years of fear arousal: Research on threat appeals: 1953-1968.

Higbee

1969

Psychological Bulletin

263

121

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Research on threat appeals has yielded conflicting findings concerning the relative effectiveness of high threat versus low threat in persuasion. Studies reviewed here have investigated the effects on persuasion of variables in each of five areas: (a) the nature of the recommendations, (6) personality characteristics of the recipients, (c) source credibility, (d) learning of the message content, and (e) the interest value of fear. Few variables have been found which consistently interact with fear. One conceptual consideration and four methodological considerations are suggested as possible sources of the inconsistency in the findings. A postulated curvilinear relationship between fear level and persuasion may help reconcile some of the conflicting findings on highversus low-threat appeals.

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“…In their pioneering study, Janis and Feshbach (1953) found that a minimal fear appeal was more effective in producing the advocated attitude change than were similar communications that aroused higher levels of fear. While several studies have replicated these results (Haefner, 19S6;Janis & Terwilliger, 1962), others have not (Berkowitz & Cottingham, 1960;DeWolfe & Governale, 1964;Leventhal & Niles, 1965;Leventhal & Singer, 1966;Leventhal, Singer, & Jones, 1965;Singer, 1965).…”

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confidence: 98%