Reading over chapter nine in Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems fear appeals stuck out to me. Instantly I recalled the numerous commercials I would see on tv for drug and tobacco prevention commercials and a recent interaction with my niece. Fear appeals have considerable amount of persuasive potential. Recently commercials aired on television have become much more graphic but present the public with important health concerns. This blog will center around Strong fear appeals and if they have an effect on the public.
According to Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems, Fear appeals are centered around the idea that people will be more likely to retain and pay attention to a message to change their health behaviors, if related fears are activated in the message. Fear appeals in advertisements utilize messages, images and stories designed to scare intended audience into reactions. Majority of current fear appeals on television describe harmful behaviors such as smoking, drug use and drunk driving (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts,2005).
Recently I was watching Once Upon a Time (EVERYONE should watch this show! http://abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time ) with my niece. During this time-slot on ABC, the network usually airs all family oriented and younger audience geared commercials. However this night a tobacco commercial aired featuring Terri Hall (see Video below) which my five year old niece Ray found especially frightening. As soon as she heard Ms. Hall’s voice on the television her eyes widened as she attentively listened to her raspy voice. By the time the commercial flashed to Ms. Hall in a hospital bed explaining how tobacco led to the decline of health my niece was literally terrified to ever have a cigarette. She immediately became afraid for my mothers health as she knows shes a smoker.
I myself have watched tobacco prevention at a younger age and particularly avoided tobacco use due to fear appeals in the media television in particular. While I would often squirm at the images and results of the tobacco use the message was always meaningful.The anti-tobacco fear appeals I witnessed had a profound effect on me. However I still to this day do not utilize tobacco products even though both of my parents smoke as well as my two housemates.
Strong fear appeals may promote awareness however they are only effective when paired with a quality high efficiency message. According to Scott Geller in order for a fear appeal to be effective it must include a strong structure of the fear appeal. This includes a threat component, action component, influence factors, and the ideal audience (Geller, 2013)
Strong fear appeals are not only thought provoking but also effective in producing positive health effects and behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Terri Hall’s commercial and ads on TV and in other media has led to more than 1.6 million Americans to attempt to quit smoking and more than 100,000 succeeding (Newsmax, 2013).
According to Kim Witte strong fear appeals produce high levels of perceived severity and susceptibility. They are also more persuasive when compared to low or weak fear appeals. Results of Witte’s meta -analysis revealed that strong fear appeals motivate adaptive danger control actions including message acceptance and maladaptive fear control which may include defensive avoidance or reactance (Allen, Witte, 2013).
While recent anti-tobacco campaigns have been criticized recently for being too graphic they have profound effects. As displayed strong fear appeals are most effective in producing positive health effects and behaviors when paired with a high efficiency message. While they may not discontinue the negative behavior altogether they are successful in promoting positive health behaviors.
Before my mother and I dropped Ray off at home she turned to her to my mother kissed her and said in her little voice “Aunt Netta stop smoking before I don’t have a face to kiss you on you’ll be bald like the lady too”.
REFERENCES
Allen,M. Witte,K. (2013). A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeals: Implications for Effective Public Health Campaigns. Retrieved from: http://heb.sagepub.com/content/27/5/591.short
Geller, S. (2012). Designing an Effective Fear Appeal. Retrieved from: http://www.safetyperformance.com/DesigninganEffectiveFearAppeal.pdf
Newsmax Wires. (2013). Terri Hall Dies:Anti-Smoking Cancer Ad Campaign Star Was 53. Retrieve from: http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/terri-hall-dies-anti-smoking-cancer/2013/09/17/id/526098/
Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (2011). Applied Social Psychology (2nd ed.). Sage publications inc.