The Role of Anxiety in Seeking and Retaining Risk Information: Testing the Risk Perception Attitude Framework in Two Studies

TLDR

Health information seeking is important, yet many people avoid it when disease thoughts are distressing. The study examines antecedents of information seeking and retention and tests predictions derived from the risk perception attitude framework. Using the risk perception attitude framework, the authors conducted two 2×2 between‑subjects experiments—one on skin cancer and one on diabetes—to manipulate perceived risk and efficacy and measure information seeking, retention, and intentions. Results show that the responsive group seeks the most information, the avoidance group seeks but retains poorly, and in diabetes the anxiety‑reduction hypothesis is supported, linking high risk/low efficacy to high motivation but low retention.

Abstract

Despite the importance of health information seeking, not all people engage in such behaviors, especially when thinking about the disease is distressing. The focus of this paper is to examine the antecedents of information seeking and retention. Based on individuals' risk perception and efficacy beliefs, the risk perception attitude framework is used to formulate four groups: responsive (high risk, high efficacy), avoidance (high risk, low efficacy), proactive (low risk, high efficacy), and indifference (low risk, low efficacy). In Study 1, a 2 (risk) × 2 (efficacy) between-subjects experiment, participants' perceived risk to skin cancer and skin cancer–related efficacy beliefs were induced to determine their information seeking, retention, and intentions to engage in future seeking. The responsive group, as predicted, was associated with the most information-seeking behaviors and information-seeking intentions. The avoidance group, however, sought information but exhibited the lowest retention scores. These results were used to derive two predictions—the incredulity hypothesis and the anxiety-reduction hypothesis—that were then tested in Study 2. Study 2, also a 2 (risk) × 2 (efficacy) between-subjects experiment dealing with diabetes, found support for the anxiety-reduction hypothesis, which argues that the high-risk, low-efficacy group experiences more anxiety, which leads to high motivations to seek, but lower ability to retain information.