The effect of the level of fear appeal on attitude towards advertising and behavioural intention
| dc.contributor.advisor | Smit, Marlize | |
| dc.contributor.author | De Villiers, Elizabeth Nicolette | |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Business Management. | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-07-05T09:37:37Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2012-07-05T09:37:37Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fear appeals are commonly used in the advertising of social issues, such as drunken driving. In general, researchers believe that there is a positive relationship between fear and persuasion (to adapt misbehaviour). However, there are disputes amongst fear appeal researchers about the level of fear appeal to be used. Fear appeals, like other advertising appeals employed in advertising, is dependant on the traits of the target audience. The effect of fear appeals differ for different target audiences as different people fear different matters. This study tests one of the contemporary models on the working of fear appeals, namely activation theory. Young adults are the target audience of social marketing in South Africa for anti-alcohol abuse issues, such as drunken driving. The effect of fear appeals on the target audience has never been empirically investigated in South Africa although social marketers often employ fear appeals to bring about a change in behaviour. The responses of a sample of young adults in South Africa were tested by means of a quasi-experimental design based on Thayer’s activation deactivation checklist as implemented by previous fear appeal researchers. Three television advertisements that depict three levels of fear appeal (low, medium and high) were presented to three sample groups. Significant differences in the responses of the level of fear appeal were observed after statistical analyses in terms of tension arousal, energy arousal, attitude towards the advertisement and intention to engage in drunken driving. A difference in how genders react to fear appeals was also found. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gebruik van vreesaanslae in die advertering van sosiale kwessies soos dronkbestuur is algemeen. Alhoewel navorsers glo dat ’n positiewe verhouding bestaan tussen vrees en oorreding (van ’n persoon om sy gedrag aan te pas), heers daar verskille oor die sterkte van die vreesaanslag wat gebruik moet word. Daar is bevind dat vreesaanslae, net soos ander aanslae wat deur die advertensiewese gebruik word, afhanklik is van die teikengehoor. Vreesaanslae se effek verskil, aangesien verskillende mense en gehore verskillende sake vrees. Hierdie studie toets een van die kontemporêre modelle van die werking van vreesaanslae. Jong volwassenes is die teikengehoor in die sosiale bemarking van anti-alkoholmisbruik kwessies soos dronkbestuur. Alhoewel sosiale bemarkers dikwels vrees aanwend om hierdie teiken gehoor se gedrag te verander, is dit nog nooit empiries in Suid-Afrika getoets nie. Die reaksies van ’n steekproef uit dié teikengehoor is getoets deur ‘n kwasieksperimentele ontwerp geskoei op Thayer se “aktivering deaktivering” kontrolelys, soos geïmplementeer deur vorige navorsing in vreesaanslae. Drie televisie advertensies wat drie vlakke van vrees (laag, medium en hoog) verteenwoordig is, aan drie eksperimentele steekproefgroepe getoon. Betekenisvolle verskille in die reaksie van die drie groepe is waargeneem ná statistiese ontledings. ’n Verskil in hoe geslagte reageer op vreesaanslae, is ook bevind. | af |
| dc.format.extent | 283 leaves : ill. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21609 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Advertising -- Psychological aspects | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Drunk driving -- South Africa -- Prevention -- Public opinion | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Persuasion (Psychology) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Fear | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Young adults -- South Africa -- Attitudes | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Theses -- Business management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertations -- Business management | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The effect of the level of fear appeal on attitude towards advertising and behavioural intention | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |