Citation

Carrera P, Munoz D, Caballero A. Health Commun. 2010; 25(8): 726-736.

Affiliation

Department of Social Psychology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10410236.2010.521914

PMID

21153989

Abstract

Negative emotional appeals do not always help to reduce risk behaviors. We report two studies about a new strategy based on the presentation of appeals with mixed sequential emotions (e.g., sadness/fear-joy/relief). Study 1 shows that a mixed message generates lower post-message discomfort than an exclusively negative message; moreover, in this first study, reported probability of performing the risk behavior, binge drinking, in the future is also lower in the mixed condition. Study 2 replicates these results and relates them to the extended parallel process model (EPPM) (Witte, 1992). Here, the mixed emotional message again generates lower post-message discomfort than the negative one, and participants are motivated to control the danger (response efficacy is evaluated more positively in the mixed condition).

Language: en