RETHINKING THE STUDY OF FEAR APPEALS - AN EMOTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

A selective review of theories of fear appeals is carried out which co ncludes that these theories have gradually become divorced from the no tion of fear. The forces that motivated that separation are examined a nd a set of arguments are advanced favoring a reunion of fear with a t heory of fear appeals. As a means of achieving that union, emotion the ory is reviewed and a set of axioms extracted. The axiomatic framework is then used to demonstrate how an emotional perspective on fear appe als might shed new light on this area of persuasion. Recommendations a re offered for future studies of fear appeals.