Appeals in a pandemic : revisiting fear appeals and its effectiveness

• Main Authors: Goh, Lynette Yi Ying, Lim, Jie Jun, Lim, Yi Zheng
• Other Authors: Ryo Kitada
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150885
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to encourage the population to adopt self-protective measures in order to minimise the spread of the infectious virus. One health communication tool used to motivate individuals to perform desired behaviours is the use of appeals. While the use of emotional appeals, most notably fear appeals, is widely studied in communication research, little is known about their effectiveness in motivating self-protective behaviours during a pandemic. To better understand how different appeal strategies can be applied in pandemic contexts, we first reexamine the outcome and relevant applications of existing literature on fear appeals, as well as possible limitations, through the extended parallel process model (EPPM) by Witte (1992). In addition, alternative appeal strategies, such as prosocial appeals, that might serve to fill the gaps identified, will be proposed. Through the review, the cogent findings of this paper can assist authorities in designing effective health communication strategies in the face of pandemics. Optimistically, this would serve to promote self-protective behaviours, dispel rumours and address emotional concerns present during a pandemic.