The role of Threat Imminence and Tangibility in Threat Perception

Abstract

This study tested the relationship between threat imminence, tangibility, and threat perception in abstract conditions. Based on the theory of threat imminence, it hypothesized that as proximity and tangibility increased, individuals would instinctually experience higher negative emotional responses to the threat. The applications of this theory had primarily focused on real-life situations, with limited exploration of its relevance in more abstract contexts. Therefore, this study would shift the attention to investigating how threat imminence and tangibility influenced threat perception in the context of two abstract conditions: Covid-19 and climate change. 302 participants got involved in this study and finished an online self-report survey by evaluating their levels of threat imminence, tangibility, and perception of threat in both Covid-19 and climate change conditions. The study hypothesized a positive correlation between threat imminence and tangibility in both abstract conditions, supposing that heightened threat imminence or tangibility would lead to an increase in the perception of threats for both conditions. The result corroborated that the threat imminence theory could apply on the abstract conditions. Further, threat imminence and tangibility worked as a model in which tangibility contributed to threat imminence, then impacted on the individuals' perception on threat. The study enhanced our understanding of how people perceived threats in abstract conditions, contributing to research on human decision-making and behavioral changes.