Perceived fear appeals and examination performance: Facilitating or debilitating outcomes?

Putwain, David W.; Symes, Wendy

doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2010.11.022

Cited by 54 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…When appraised as threatening, fear appeals result in higher test anxiety, a higher performance-avoidance goal (to avoid performing worse than one's classmates), lower intrinsic motivation, and lower grades on tests and examinations (Putwain & Best, 2011, 2012Putwain & Roberts, 2009;Putwain & Remedios, 2014b;Putwain & Symes, 2011a,2011bSprinkle, Hunt, Simonds, & Comadena, 2006). These findings are broadly consistent with those from adjacent areas of the educational psychology literature.…”

Section: Fear Appeals In the Classroomsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…The nascent literature examining the outcomes of fear appeals, used prior to high-stakes examinations, has shown that when fear appeals are appraised as threatening they result in a higher performance-approach goal, higher test anxiety, lower intrinsic motivation, and lower examination and test grades (Putwain & Best, 2011, 2012Putwain & Symes, 2011b;Sprinkle et al, 2006). The results of this study extend this body of work to show how attainment value and academic self-efficacy are also influenced by how fear appeals are appraised.…”

Section: The Outcome Of Fear Appeals Appraisalsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…On the basis of this one would expect that challenge and threat appraisal of fear appeals would also be likely to influence subsequent educational achievement. Previous research has shown how the threat appraisal of a fear appeal is related to lower achievement (Putwain & Remedios, 2014b;Putwain & Symes, 2011b) however research has yet to empirically demonstrate how challenge appraisals relate to subsequent educational achievement. The higher academic self-efficacy and attainment value resulting from a challenge appraisal would strongly suggest that higher achievement would be the likely outcome.…”

Section: Fear Appeals Appraisals and Educational Achievementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although these messages may be used with the intention to benefit students, evidence suggests that the use of fear appeals may not always have the desired effect. When appraised as threatening fear appeals result in higher test anxiety, lower motivation, and lower grades (e.g., Putwain & Symes, 2011a, 2011bPutwain & Remedios, 2014a). However, fear appeals can be appraised as challenging as well as threatening.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy

Putwain

Remedios

Symes

2015

Learning and Instruction

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Putwain, DW, Remedios, R and Symes, WExperiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/3500/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LJMU Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain.The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. LJMU Research Online Running head: FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACYThe appraisal of fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences a subsequent decline or increase in attainment value and academic self-efficacy FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY 1 AbstractFear appeals are persuasive messages that highlight the negative consequences of a particular course of action. Studies have shown that attainment value and academic self-efficacy predict how fear appeals are appraised. In this study we examined how the appraisal of fear appeals might also influence subsequent attainment value and academic self-efficacy. Self-report data were collected from 1433 students in their final two years of secondary education over three waves. Findings revealed that when students saw fear appeals as a challenge attainment value and academic self-efficacy were higher. When students saw fear appeals as a threat, attainment value and academic self-efficacy were lower. These results highlight the functional importance of how fear appeals are appraised. Challenge and threat appraisals were not mere by products of attainment value or academic self-efficacy but impacted on attainment value and academic self-efficacy; variables that are likely to make a critical impact on educational progress and attainment. We conclude that initial teacher education and teacher professional development programs would benefit from enhanced interpersonal and relational-skills training to enable teachers to judge more effectively how fear appeals are appraised.Keywords: fear appeals, attainment value, academic self-efficacy, high-stakes testing FEAR APPEALS, VALUE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY 2The appraisal of fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences a subsequent decline or increase in attainment value and academic self-efficacy IntroductionThis study examines how academic self-efficacy and attainment value relate to the appraisal of fear appeals used by secondary school teachers prior to a high-stakes examination. Fear appeals are used by teachers as a motivational strategy; a 'scare tactic' to attem...

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Section: Fear Appeals In the Classroomsupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: The Outcome Of Fear Appeals Appraisalsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Fear Appeals Appraisals and Educational Achievementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy

Putwain

Remedios

Symes

2015

Learning and Instruction

Self Cite

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“…Previous studies have shown that how the message is interpreted, or appraised, by the student is critical in establishing linkages with a variety of salient educational outcomes. For instance, when the fear appeal is appraised as a threat it is related to a variety of negative outcomes including lower examination scores and higher test anxiety (e.g., Putwain & Symes, 2011a, 2011b. Studies have only recently begun to examine how the appraisal of fear appeals as a challenge could be related to positive outcomes, such as subjective task value and academic self-efficacy .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fear appeals prior to a high-stakes examination can have a positive or negative impact on engagement depending on how the message is appraised

Putwain

Nicholson

Nakhla

et al. 2016

Contemporary Educational Psychology

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Previous studies have shown that teachers may use messages that focus on the importance of avoiding failure (fear appeals) prior to high-stakes examinations as a motivational tactic. The aim of this study was to examine whether fear appeals, and their appraisal as challenging or threatening, impacted on student engagement. Data were collected from 1373 students, clustered in 46 classes, and 81 teachers responsible for instruction in those classes, prior to a high-stakes mathematics secondary school exit examination. Data were analyzed in a multilevel structural equation model. The appraisal of fear appeals as challenging lead to greater student engagement and as threatening to lower student engagement. The impact of fear appeals on engagement was mediated by a threat appraisal. The effectiveness of fear appeals as a motivational strategy depends on how they are interpreted by students.

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Identity Safety and Its Importance for Academic Success

Lowe¹

2020

Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education

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While there are many external factors that contribute to the equity students do or do not experience, equally important are the internal or psychological factors that impact student performance. This chapter examines the need for identity safety in the classroom, and how the culture of a classroom (the unspoken messages) can create or inhibit equity of the psychological environment. The intersecting influences of student achievement goal orientations and classroom goal emphasis have a direct and significant impact on student motivation and academic achievement. Additionally, students across the developmental spectrum are actively negotiating who they are as a student and taking cues from the environment regarding their fit and likelihood of success. For students of color, this identity negotiation entails a very specific consideration of their racial self and whether or not that element of their person is welcomed in the academic space. These identity negotiations then interact with students' achievement goals and their beliefs about intelligence and motivation, ultimately impacting their academic performance. Goal-fit and racial identity-fit thereby serve as core elements of belonging for students of color.

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Perceived fear appeals and examination performance: Facilitating or debilitating outcomes?

Cited by 54 publications

References 38 publications

Experiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy

Experiencing fear appeals as a challenge or a threat influences attainment value and academic self-efficacy

Fear appeals prior to a high-stakes examination can have a positive or negative impact on engagement depending on how the message is appraised

Identity Safety and Its Importance for Academic Success

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