A Terror Management Perspective on the Persuasiveness of Fear Appeals
Abstract
We use terror management theory (TMT) to show that the nature of the threatening consequences included in fear‐appeal communications influences the responses to the messages promoted in such communications. On the basis of differences between death‐related consequences and non‐death‐related consequences, they provide an explanation for maladaptive responses to fear appeals. Results from 2 experiments indicate that participants who were highly committed to a worldview of drinking alcohol rejected socially acceptable attitudes toward drinking and driving when the message containing such attitudes was accompanied by a fear appeal that contained death as a consequence, but not when fear appeals contained the fear of arrest or serious injury. Participants perceived their level of experienced fear to be the same across the experimental conditions. The results have implications for considering the qualitative nature of the threatening consequence in fear‐appeal research and for using TMT to understand maladaptive responses to fear‐appeal communications.
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Individuals strongly committed to drinking alcohol were more likely to reject a 'do not drink and drive' message when death, rather than arrest or serious injury, was the consequence of drinking and driving.
“Shehryar and Hunt (2005) reported that individuals who were strongly committed to drinking alcohol were more likely to reject a 'do not drink and drive' message when death, rather than arrest or serious injury, was the consequence of drinking when driving.”
From An Integrative Terror Management Theory Perspective on Media Effects: A Model and 12 Hypotheses for Research (2016) · cites this paper as Shehryar and Hunt (2005)
Cites
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Appealing to fear: A meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories
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“According to TMT, when people are reminded of their mortality by being exposed to the concept of death, they often become motivated to buffer their self-esteem to reduce mortality related anxiety (Goldenberg & Arndt, 2008; Pyszczynski et al., 1999; Shehryar & Hunt, 2005; Solomon et al., 1991).”
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Delay and Death-Thought Accessibility: A Meta-Analysis
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- Authors
- Shehryar, O., & Hunt, D. M.
- Affiliations
- Montana State University (US)
- University of Wyoming (US)
- Corresponding author
- Shehryar, Omar
- Venue
- Journal of Consumer Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-01
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 275-287
- ISSN
- 1057-7408 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7663
- OpenAlex
- W2064456947
- Cited by
- 80
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Consumer Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- terror management theory, fear appeals, maladaptive responses, alcohol consumption, drinking and driving, persuasion
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