Ozsari Sahin, Ayse; (2025) Tests of Emotional Influences on Risk Communication. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis explores the emotive characteristics of risk communication and examines the impact of incidental emotions on communication effectiveness. It proposes research questions and predictions based on theories from the emotion (appraisal theories of emotions), judgment and decision-making (Appraisal Tendency Framework), and risk communication (Extended Parallel Process Model, Emotion as Frame Model, Transtheoretical Model) literature. To identify emotive characteristics of communications, Chapter 2 instructed participants to rate several real-life communications on cognitive appraisals of emotions across three studies. Factor analyses suggested that, analogous to appraisals that characterise discrete emotions (Smith & Ellsworth, 1985), risk communications were characterised by several appraisals (e.g., Self/Other Agency and Anticipated Effort) in three studies. Chapter 3 investigated the influence of incidental positive emotions (e.g., hope) on the effectiveness of fear appeals by manipulating message efficacy and emotions across three experiments. No consistent evidence was found to support the predicted interaction between emotion and efficacy. Additionally, in two studies, no evidence supported the success of the efficacy manipulation. These findings prompted an exploration of the role of prior knowledge in Chapter 4. Chapter 4 examined the interaction between Knowledge and Efficacy, revealing no significant interaction between Knowledge and Efficacy on behavioural intentions and defensive responses to risk communications. The exploratory analysis suggested that prior knowledge perception might be associated with decreased defensive responses and increased Certainty appraisals when efficacy perception was low. Additionally, efficacy perception consistently predicted increased behavioural intentions, regardless of message design. In sum, this thesis suggests that: a) the emotive characteristics of risk communications can be identified based on cognitive appraisals of emotions, facilitating the understanding of the potential emotional impact of communications; b) efficacy-based interventions might focus on long-term treatments rather than single communications to increase efficacy. Furthermore, we suggest that addressing collective efficacy might be crucial for certain behaviours (e.g., sustainability-related).

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