| Description |
Participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions in a 2 (episodic vs. thematic framing) x 2 (anger-inducing vs. fear-inducing) between-participants experiment embedded in an online survey (N = 245). The present study investigated whether emotional appeals, in combination with message frames, would induce emotion-congruent effects with respect to risk perception regarding medical errors, attitudes towards health providers involved in medical errors, and support for punitive and remedial policy measures. In general, this study found expected effects of anger appeal, but not of fear appeal. Exposure to an anger appeal produced greater negative attitudes towards responsible healthcare professionals and enhanced support for punitive policy measures. The fear appeal message did not increase risk perceptions or support for remedial policy measures. Moderated mediation analyses, with experienced anger and fear as mediators and message frame as the moderator, were conducted for attitude and risk perception. Amoderated mediation test with anger as the mediator, message frame as the moderator and attitude as the outcome variable, was close to, but did not reach statistical significance. A serial mediational model was also examined on the relationships between iv anger appeal, experienced anger, negative attitude, and punitive policy support. Specifically, exposure to an anger appeal elicited anger which in turn led to more negative attitudes, and those with more negative attitudes were more likely to support punitive policies. The serial mediation analysis also showed that the simple mediation model via elicited anger explained more variance than the serial mediation model via elicited anger and negative attitude. Counter to expectations, anger appeal, instead of fear appeal, increased risk perceptions through experienced anger, though this effect was significant only for thematic frame. In the serial mediation model, anger manipulation also predicted remedial policy support through elicited anger and then risk perceptions. The serial mediation analysis also indicated a significant simple mediation model: anger appeal predicted remedial policy support via elicited anger. This indirect effect was greater than the indirect effect via elicited anger and risk perceptions. Overall, the findings of the current study highlighted the unique role of anger in influencing human attitude and opinion formation. |
