Investigating effective social marketing campaigns: the direct and indirect impacts of fear, challenge, and fear mixed with challenge appeals on help-seeking intentions
type: CreativeWork
description: The primary aim of the current study is to empirically test a novel conceptual framework which united the Cognitive Phenomenological Theory of Emotions (Lazarus, Kanner and Folkman, 1980), the Revised Protection Motivation Model (Arthur and Quester, 2004), and the Heuristic Systematic Model (Eagly and Chaiken, 1993) to investigate the impact of various emotions on help-seeking intentions (BI). In particular, this research was undertaken to investigate the persuasive power of emotional advertising eliciting fear, challenge and fear mixed with challenge in consumers to induce help-seeking behavioural intentions in social marketing context. The study seeks to evaluate the direct and indirect impact of fear, challenge and fear mixed with challenge on behavioural intentions via systematic mode and depth of information processing (SMIP/DP) and attitudes towards the advertisement (AT). The study also strive to determine whether respective influence of fear mixed with challenge emotional advertising serves as a conditioning stimulus to enhance systematic mode and depth of information processing, and indirectly, through attitudes towards the advertisement, influence the strongest intentions to seek professional help in comparison to fear or challenge appeals. Since marketing communication is progressing to an era of tailored messages targeted at individuals, this study investigates a-priori individual differences such as tolerance of ambiguity, tolerance of negative emotions, involvement with the advertisement, response efficacy and self-accountability to unveil the unique information processing patterns among consumers exposed to the emotional advertising. The study is based on mixed research design and comprised of qualitative (thematic analysis) and quantitative stages (quasi–experiment with web-based survey). Results of the study empirically confirm that emotional blend of fear mixed with challenge indirectly via cognitive mediators of SMIP/DP and AT exerted the stronges…
abstract: The primary aim of the current study is to empirically test a novel conceptual framework which united the Cognitive Phenomenological Theory of Emotions (Lazarus, Kanner and Folkman, 1980), the Revised Protection Motivation Model (Arthur and Quester, 2004), and the Heuristic Systematic Model (Eagly and Chaiken, 1993) to investigate the impact of various emotions on help-seeking intentions (BI). In particular, this research was undertaken to investigate the persuasive power of emotional advertising eliciting fear, challenge and fear mixed with challenge in consumers to induce help-seeking behavioural intentions in social marketing context. The study seeks to evaluate the direct and indirect impact of fear, challenge and fear mixed with challenge on behavioural intentions via systematic mode and depth of information processing (SMIP/DP) and attitudes towards the advertisement (AT). The study also strive to determine whether respective influence of fear mixed with challenge emotional advertising serves as a conditioning stimulus to enhance systematic mode and depth of information processing, and indirectly, through attitudes towards the advertisement, influence the strongest intentions to seek professional help in comparison to fear or challenge appeals. Since marketing communication is progressing to an era of tailored messages targeted at individuals, this study investigates a-priori individual differences such as tolerance of ambiguity, tolerance of negative emotions, involvement with the advertisement, response efficacy and self-accountability to unveil the unique information processing patterns among consumers exposed to the emotional advertising. The study is based on mixed research design and comprised of qualitative (thematic analysis) and quantitative stages (quasi–experiment with web-based survey). Results of the study empirically confirm that emotional blend of fear mixed with challenge indirectly via cognitive mediators of SMIP/DP and AT exerted the stronges…
author: de Vos, Svetlana
keywords: emotional advertising, mixed emotions, fear, challenge appeals
date published: 2015
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:50:44Z
provider: University of Adelaide
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Adelaide

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2440/97993