The use of negative emotions in health communication messages: Study of the effects of fear, guilt, and shame

Abstract

This work examines the effects of the use of three negative emotions – fear, guilt and shame – in anti-alcohol messages. Perceptions of two types of threat – physical and social – create negative emotions related to fear, shame and guilt, which in turn have an impact on persuasion. More than 1000 young students were subjected to experiments manipulating the three negative emotions studied. The results show that, like fear, guilt and shame also increase persuasion. Specifically, the study argues for the use of shame in ads fighting against alcohol abuse among young people. Shame resulting from exposure to a social threat related to peer evaluation had the strongest impact on persuasion compared to the other two emotions. Moreover, some individual variables such as affect intensity and self-efficacy would promote persuasion.