Fear Appeals

Two experiments were conducted to examine the processing of fear-arousing communications, and tested predictions derived from the stage model of processing of fear-arousing communications. The studies focused on the impact of manipulations of vulnerability to and severity of a health risk on the processing of both the fear appeal and the subsequent action recommendation, and assessed how message processing relates to attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Results confirmed predictions that vulnerability to a severe health risk induces defense motivation, which is reflected in a negative processing bias in threat appraisal and a positive processing bias in coping appraisal, which in combination promotes persuasion. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

De Hoog, N., Stroebe, W., & De Wit, J.B.F. (2008). The processing of fear-arousing communications: how biased processing leads to persuasion. Social Influence, 3(2), 84-113.

The present study investigated whether fear appeals used prior to a test increased self-reported test anxiety and had a detrimental effect on test scores. Forty primary school pupils were instructed for one week under a low threat condition under which no fear appeals were made and another week under a high threat condition in which fear appeals were made salient. An end-of-week test was given in both conditions. Pupils reported an increase in test anxiety related worrisome thoughts and autonomic reactions under the high threat condition, but not in off-task behaviours. Test scores were lower under the high threat condition, but were not attributable to the increases in test anxiety related thoughts and autonomic reactions. This study adds weight to the argument that fear appeals are a damaging classroom strategy, but the mechanism by which fear appeals are reducing test scores is not yet clear.► Fear appeals used prior to a class test result in greater self-reported test anxiety. ► Fear appeals used prior to a class test result in a worse test score. ► Fear appeals do not, therefore, seem to be an effective preparation strategy for tests.

What role, if any, should appeals to fear play in climate change communication? Moral and practical worries about fear appeals in the climate change debate have caused some to turn toward hope appeals.  I argue that fear can be a rational and motivationally powerful response to climate change. While there are good reasons to worry about the use of fear in politics, climate change fear appeals can be protected against the standard criticisms of political fear. Hope appeals, by contrast, seem vulnerable to serious motivational drawbacks in the case of climate change. We should not therefore abandon fear appeals in favor of hope appeals.  Instead, we should take our bearings from Aristotle in an effort to cultivate fear more responsibly.  Aristotle offers an appealing model of “civic fear” that makes room for the best aspects of hope, elicits rather than extinguishes our sense of agency, and invites rather than forecloses deliberation.

WE DO NOT WANT US TO KNOW THAT WE ARE GOD.
JESUS IS AN EXTENSION OF THE GOD OUTSIDE OF US DESIGN FEATURE OF THIS SKID MARK,  WHICH IS A GOOD TRICK BECAUSE THE JESUS / VISHNU ENERGY HOLDS THE IMAGE INFO THAT MAKES EVERYTHING.  WHY WOULD WE KNOWINGLY TAKE AN ENERGY FORM THAT PERMEATES ALL THINGS AND EXTERNALIZE IT??  HUH??  MAKING IT LIKE UNATTAINABLE, WHEN IN FACT, IT IS THE ROOT SOURCE OF FORM.  ANSWER:  SEPARATION FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.

Aims  This paper reviews a set of theories of behaviour change that are used outside the field of addiction and considers their relevance for this field.Methods  Ten theories are reviewed in terms of (i) the main tenets of each theory, (ii) the implications of the theory for promoting change in addictive behaviours and (iii) studies in the field of addiction that have used the theory. An augmented feedback loop model based on Control Theory is used to organize the theories and to show how different interventions might achieve behaviour change.Results  Briefly, each theory provided the following recommendations for intervention: Control Theory: prompt behavioural monitoring, Goal-Setting Theory: set specific and challenging goals, Model of Action Phases: form ‘implementation intentions’, Strength Model of Self-Control: bolster self-control resources, Social Cognition Models (Protection Motivation Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Health Belief Model): modify relevant cognitions, Elaboration Likelihood Model: consider targets' motivation and ability to process information, Prototype Willingness Model: change perceptions of the prototypical person who engages in behaviour and Social Cognitive Theory: modify self-efficacy.Conclusions  There are a range of theories in the field of behaviour change that can be applied usefully to addiction, each one pointing to a different set of modifiable determinants and/or behaviour change techniques. Studies reporting interventions should describe theoretical basis, behaviour change techniques and mode of delivery accurately so that effective interventions can be understood and replicated.

Social marketing campaigns play a key role in responses to obesity. We examine a recent Australian obesity prevention campaign (Livelighter) as a case study to explore public health values, and in particular consider the implications of the use of fear, risk, stigma, disgust, and personal responsibility in such campaigns. We examine the broader implications of such campaigns as forms of social control that promote certain images of body weight while problematising other body types. We consider the intended and unintended consequences of these campaigns. Responses to obesity are influenced by the political environment. The intended and unintended consequences and the political environment should be considered in the development of alternative models.

Recognizing inconsistencies between the extant fear appeal theories and emotion literature, this research integrated cognitive appraisal theory and functional emotion theory into a fear appeal literature and proposed a model that describes a process through which both fear and anxiety can contribute to adaptive responses.  Findings from an experiment (N =927) supported the predictions.  Fear and anxiety emerged as distinct constructs.  Perceived susceptibility was a stronger predictor of anxiety than fear, while perceived severity was a stronger predictor of fear than anxiety.  In addition, greater fear and anxiety led to greater response-efficacy through increased motivation to obtain protection-related information and heightened attention to such information, thus mediating the threat and coping appraisal processes.  The SEM model testing the predictions showed that perceived susceptibility had the strongest total effects on protection intention, followed by anxiety, perceived severity, and fear.

Angstboodschappen of 'fear appeals' zijn frequent gebruikte preventietechnieken in verkeersveiligheidscampagnes. Tot op heden blijft de vraag of fear appeals doeltreffend zijn onbeantwoord. Deze studie tracht door middel van een literatuuroverzicht na te gaan in welke omstandigheden angstboodschappen wel dan niet effecten opleveren.

The increase in various social problems has caused practitioners to review fear appeals in order to influence behaviour. The Aids pandemic is a major concern and some advertising campaigns do not seem to be producing the expected results. This study used structural equation modelling to investigate whether the use of fear increases the likelihood of adopting appropriate behaviour pertaining to HIV/Aids prevention. Fear, attitude towards the advertisements, severity, susceptibility and efficacy were examined to ascertain the influence of fear appeals on a specific market segment. The findings of this paper indicate a relationship among susceptibility, fear, attitude and behavioural intent.

This study measured the persuasive nature of fear appeals in response to gain- and loss-framed diversity messages. Ninety-nine male and female undergraduate students were randomly induced with a happy, fearful, sad, or neutral mood, and then asked to read gain- or lossframed
messages pertaining to cultural diversity. The Miami University Diversity Awareness Scale (MUDAS) and a motivation scale (BIS/BAS Scales) were administered immediately after the framed messages. A follow-up survey was conducted to assess participation in diversityrelated
events after the study. Results showed that participants in a neutral mood were most susceptible to message framing. Interestingly, induced emotions appeared to neutralize the framing effects on immediate attitudes. The follow-up survey revealed strong evidence that
individuals in the fearful condition were most inclined to participate in diversity-related activities. These findings help to support the idea that fear appeals can promote positive diversity behaviors.

This meta-analysis of studies of the persuasive impact of fear appeals evaluated the contribution of our stage model of the processing of fear-arousing communications relative to other fear appeal theories. In contrast to other theories, our stage model (a)
specifies the cognitive processes underlying persuasion through fear-arousing communications, (b) proposes that threat-induced defensive processing does not interfere with the effectiveness of fear-arousing communications but actually contributes to it, and (c) predicts that vulnerability and severity manipulations have differential effects on measures of attitude as compared with intention and behavior. To evaluate these predictions, the authors expanded on previous meta-analyses by assessing the independent as well as joint effects of vulnerability to and severity of a risk, both on information processing and on measures of persuasion (attitude, intention, behavior). Overall, findings were consistent with the stage model. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

De Hoog, N., Stroebe, W., & De Wit, J.B.F. (2007). The impact of vulnerability to and severity of a health risk on processing and acceptance of fear-arousing communications: A meta-analysis. Review of General Psychology, 11(3), 258-285.

In New Perspectives on the Book of Revelation, ed. Adela Yarbro Collins, BETL (Leuven, Peeters, 2017), 463-473. John patently appears to commit an argumentative fallacy in his use of direct threats to ground his motivational exhortations in Revelation 2,5. 16. 22; 3,3; 22,18-19. Recent research by argumentation theorists on the argumentum ad baculum suggests that three main factors determine the legitimacy or fallaciousness of an ad baculum argument: the argumentative context, the use of the threats, and the character, purpose, and intentions of the one threatening. This paper focuses primarily on the first of these evaluative factors. John’s rhetorical use of divine authority must be evaluated within the broader argumentative context of religious rhetoric within Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity. A survey of threats in the Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, Old Testament Pseudepigrapa, Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, Philo, New Testament, and Apostolic Fathers demonstrates that the rhetorical use of divine threats are not unusual or out of place within the religious rhetoric of the worldview John shared with his hearers.   

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Bulletin for Biblical Research 27 (2017): 77-91.

Recent research on ekphrasis sheds light on how John utilized vivid description to guide the imagination and stir the emotions of his hearers. This is particularly evident in John’s visions of judgment and salvation. The primary grounds for John’s exhortation to overcome include exclusion from or participation in final salvation. John’s frequent use of ekphrasis, particularly within his visionary narratives, enables his hearers to vividly visualize and imagine the presently invisible grounds offered for John’s rational argumentation, thus producing an emotional response in support of obedience and action. This article explores the use of ekphrasis in the fifth and sixth trumpets (Rev 9:1–19) to direct the hearer’s imagination and create the emotion of fear in support of John’s rhetorical agenda.

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Exposure to risk messages can motivate health information seeking, which can influence message acceptance or rejection.  Theories of risk message design and effects (e.g., fear appeal models), however, have not considered information seeking as an integral part of the risk message processing.  To address the gap, this experimental study (N=927) offered participants an opportunity to seek threat- and/or coping-related information online after exposing them to a risk message about meningitis and recorded their information-seeking activities unobtrusively.  The findings indicated that information seeking increased self- and response-efficacy of meningitis vaccination.  Information seeking was positively predicted by uncertainty discrepancy, perceived susceptibility, anxiety, and fear.  More importantly, information seeking completely mediated the effects of perceived susceptibility and anxiety on an increase in self- and response-efficacy, and a decrease in message rejection.  Information seeking also partially mediated the effects of perceived susceptibility and fear on an increase in message acceptance.  Implications for health information seeking and risk communication research are discussed.

What role, if any, should fear play in the politics of existential crises like nuclear catastrophe and global climate change? This paper considers why the postwar thinker Hans Morgenthau set aside his principled worries about the politics of fear and began to cast the prospect of nuclear catastrophe in terrifying and apocalyptic terms. I argue that Morgenthau’s resort to existential fear appeals may have seemed like an appropriate strategy in the face of the representational and motivational difficulties of prospective catastrophes like nuclear annihilation and in response to the forms of organized denial and political inertia that these difficulties enable. His aim was to cultivate the salutary fear required to construct new forms of political order as a bulwark against nuclear catastrophe. I suggest that there are lessons from this engagement with Morgenthau for the contemporary question of the place of fear appeals in the climate change debate.

Journal of Youth and Theology 16 (2017): 165–184.
Western Christians are increasingly uncomfortable with the use of scare tactics in Christian proclamation and evangelism. An exception to this trend can be found in the seasonal theatrical production of Christian horror houses targeting youth in America. These productions are growing in popularity and they explicitly seek to produce fear in youth in order to motivate conversion. Practitioners of horror house scare-tactics claim support in the texts of Scripture, particularly the Apocalypse of John, for this rhetorical approach to evangelism. This paper will engage in interdisciplinary research in the social-sciences and biblical studies to explain why many critiques of the practice fail to persuade practitioners, and to note several points of critique which should result in evaluation and revision, if not abandonment, of the seasonal events.

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The current study experimentally tested the effects of two types of content commonly found in anti-tobacco television messages – content focused on communicating a health threat about tobacco use (fear) and content containing disgust related images – on how viewers processed these messages. In a 2 × 2 within-subjects experiment, participants watched anti-tobacco television ads that varied in the amount

Abstract: This research investigates the role of perceived health knowledge on the effectiveness of fear-based persuasive appeals. Undergraduates (N = 263) read a strong fear, weak fear, or efficacy-only message encouraging breast or testicular self-examination. As expected, results indicated that men high in subjective knowledge were less reactant and more persuaded by the efficacy-only message whereas those low in subjective knowledge did not evidence this pattern. Contrary to expectation, women high in subjective knowledge had comparable reactions to each of the 3 messages. Implications for fear appeal theory and message design are discussed. Citation: Nabi, R. L., Roskos-Ewoldsen, D. R., & Carpentier, F. D. (2008). Subjective knowledge and fear appeal effectiveness: Implications for message design. Health Communication, 23, 191-201.

De Wit, J.B.F., Das, E.H.H.J., & De Hoog, N. (2007). Self-regulation of health communications: A motivated processing approach to risk perception and persuasion. In M. Hewstone, H. Schut, J. De Wit, K. van den Bos, & M. Stroebe (Eds.), The scope of social psychology: Theory and applications (pp. 209-226). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.

During medical pandemics, protective behaviors need to be motivated by effective communication, where finding predictors of fear and perceived health is of critical importance. The varying trajectories of the COVID-19 pandemic in different countries afford the opportunity to assess the unique influence of ‘macro-level’ environmental factors and ‘micro-level’ psychological variables on both fear and perceived health. Here, we investigate predictors of fear and perceived health using machine learning as lockdown restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced in Austria, Spain, Poland and Czech Republic. Over a seven-week period, 533 participants completed weekly self-report surveys which measured the target variables subjective fear of the virus and perceived health, in addition to potential predictive variables related to psychological factors, social factors, perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD), and economic circumstances. Viral spread, mortality and governmental responses were further included in the analysis as potential environmental predictors. Results revealed that our models could accurately predict fear of the virus (accounting for approximately 23% of the variance) using predictive factors such as worrying about shortages in food supplies and perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD), where interestingly, environmental factors such as spread of the virus and governmental restrictions did not contribute to this prediction. Furthermore, our results revealed that perceived health could be predicted using PVD, physical exercise, attachment anxiety and age as input features, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Taken together, our results emphasize the importance of ‘micro-level’ psychological factors, as opposed to ‘macro-level’ environmental factors, when predicting fear and perceived health, and offer a starting point for more extensive research on the influences of pathogen threat and governmental restrictions on the psychology of fear and health.

In The Studia Philonica Annual XXXI 2019, ed. David T. Runia and Gregory E. Sterling (Atlanta: SBL Press, 2019), 163–184.

This paper will contribute to the growing multi-disciplinary research on religious fear appeals by focusing on Philo’s attitude toward threats, fear appeals, and scare tactics in moral and religious instruction as evidenced from the Philonic corpus. Because Philo’s convictions regarding fear appeals are generally expressed in passing as he develops other arguments and pursues other agendas this topic has not received extensive focus in prior Philonic scholarship. Nevertheless, Philo’s perspectives on the rhetorical use of divine threat can make a positive contribution to ongoing research on fear appeals in at least two ways. Frist, exploring ancient approaches to perennial questions often can provide new insights and perspectives. For example, the four main constructs in the Extended Parallel Process Model used for developing and evaluating fear appeal effectiveness in the social sciences (perceived threat severity, perceived threat susceptibility, perceived response efficacy, and perceived self-efficacy) are all discussed by Philo (cf. Aristotle, Rhet. 2.5.1–22).  What is new often turns out to be quite old and the old continues to have relevance. Second, Philo’s discussions of the rhetorical use of divine threat is particularly helpful for understanding the role of religious fear appeals in early Christianity. Jesus and the earliest Christians all employed religious fear appeals but rarely engage in deeper reflection on the logic of the fear appeals.  This leaves us with clear examples of divine threat employed in moral exhortation but little theoretical justification or reflection on the warrants underlying the logic. Philo differs from Aristotle and the Stoics in his ability to shed light on the positive role of fear in New Testament moral exhortation because he shares a generally similar religious orientation based on the same foundational religious texts.
This paper will begin by considering the foundational worldview conviction undergirding Philo’s approach to religious fear appeals: God’s right as creator to punish. We will then consider Philo’s consideration of the benefits associated with proper fear of punishment, his own utilization of fear appeals, his awareness of the audience-specific nature of appropriate fear appeals, and his negative comments on fear. We will conclude with his comments on Philo’s advocacy for a blend of fear and confidence in one’s orientation toward God.

Past literature reviews of gain-framed versus loss-based health messages have been inconsistent and inconclusive. To resolve this and provide a clearer pattern, this review focuses on the individual or person-specific characteristics of target audiences.
The results indicate that by answering the following four questions about a target audience, one can predict whether a gain-framed or a loss-based health message will be more effective. 1) Is there a low (versus high) level of involvement
in the issue? 2) Is there a high (versus low) certainty of the outcome? 3) Is there a low (versus high) preference for risk? 4) Is there a heuristic (versus piecemeal) processing style? The profiling of audiences on these factors has two distinct benefits;
it resolves many of the seeming inconsistencies in past positive–negative and gain–loss message research (such as fear appeals working better with experts than nonexperts) and it helps predict which type of message will be most effective
with a given audience.

In this study, a convenient sample of drivers provided their opinions and perceptions of two seat-belt wearing advertisements with different emotional appeals. One advertisement had a more negative emotional appeal (fear) while the other had more a positive emotional appeal (humor). More importantly, they were both produced overseas and one of them was from a very different culture from the viewers. However, both advertisements appeared to possess several of the key message characteristics prescribed by established scientific models. Our results revealed that both advertisements were successful in increasing viewers’ intention to wear a seat-belt and obey the seat-belt law. In addition, significant correlations were found between these adaptive intentions and several key message characteristics. Our results attested to the importance of using established theoretical models when developing a road safety message.

The general aim of this study is to analyze the effects of the written and combined (written and
pictures) warning statements on the cigarette pockets on university students. The sample of the
study includes a total of 231 undergraduate students. The participants were divided into two groups:
the first group was presented only written warnings, while the second group was presented
combined warning statements. In order to analyze the effects of these warning statements, the
protection motivation model developed by Arthur and Quester was employed. The study has relational
model. It is found that the variable of “severity of harm” has effects on the category of “fear”
both in the written warning statements and in the combined warning statements.

Fear has been used to convince people to behave
securely in a variety of cybersecurity domains. In
this study, we tested the use of fear appeals, together
with threat and coping appraisal components separately
and together, on password hygiene behaviors. Fear
did indeed elicit the anticipated response: people had
higher levels of behavioral intention to engage in better
password hygiene. Unfortunately, we also detected a
largely negative affective response to the appeals. Fear,
as a short-lived emotion, can indeed be effective in the
short term. Snapshot-like studies, like the one reported
here, might lead us to conclude that fear is indeed
indicated and efficacious. Yet, it may backfire in the long
term due to the negative long term affects it can trigger

Grounded in George Lakoff’s theory of metaphor, “Hacking as a Metaphor” takes a holistic view of the use of the term  “hacking” in the American lexicon. Through both quantitative (sentiment analysis) and qualitative analysis, this paper argues that hacking has become a singular metaphor and examines the implications of its overuse.

Las advertencias sanitarias en las cajetillas de tabaco son uno de los métodos más usados para reducir el consumo de tabaco. Es por ello que se plantea el presente estudio para averiguar si las nuevas imágenes incorporadas en los paquetes de tabaco en mayo de 2016 en España son efica-ces, comprensibles e impactan lo suficiente para cesar el consumo de tabaco. Para ello se crearon tres condiciones experimentales: en la primera condición se utilizaron las cajetillas originales (texto e imagen), en la segunda sólo las imágenes de las cajetillas y en la tercera condición sólo el texto con las advertencias. Participaron un total de 94 sujetos que fueron asignados aleatoriamente a las tres condiciones experimentales. Los resultados mostraron que las advertencias con sólo texto y las combinadas (texto e imagen) se comprendían mejor que las que sólo mostraban la imagen ame-nazante. Por lo tanto, la imagen en solitario reducía la comprensión del mensaje llegando incluso a distorsionar su significado. Los análisis mediacionales mostraron que las emociones negativas no ejercían un papel significativo. En cambio, la compresión del mensaje sí que actuaba como variable mediadora del efecto del tipo de advertencia sanitaria sobre el impacto preventivo.

This thesis examined the influence of perceiving of fear strategy messages in Korlantas Polri road safety advertisements, which aim to motivate younger audience using its resonances. The causal relationship between the strategy and how the message perceived was analyzed using the EPPM model (extended parallel process model) using path analysis. The data collection carried out on 85 private vocational high school (SMK) students using the one-shot case study experiment design. The results showed that the perceived threats from the advertisement impacts and motivates the students to follow the recommendations from advertising messages, as mediated by an efficacy message. This only found in a group of students who have the resonance, while the other group who did not have the resonance can only be influenced by the message of efficacy.

Öz: Kitle iletişim araçlarını kullanarak belli bir amaç doğrultusunda kitlelerin istenilen yönde tutum, düşünce ve davranış değişikliği göstermeleri için, onlarla kurulan iletişimin iknaya dayanması gerekmektedir. İkna edici iletişime dayalı medya çıktılarından olan reklamların bir alt türü olarak sosyal reklamlar da, hedef kitlesinin tutum ve davranışlarını istenilen yöne çevirmeye onları ikna etmek için çeşitli reklam çekiciliklerine başvurmaktadır. Çevre kirliliği, sağlık sorunları, iş güvenliği ve trafik güvenliği gibi toplumsal sorunlar konusunda hedef kitlenin tutum ve davranışlarında amaçlanan değişikliğin gerçekleştirilmesi için en başta hedef kitlesinin dikkatini çekmek zorunda olan sosyal reklamların, amacına ulaşma yolunda başvurduğu temel reklam çekiciliği ise korku çekiciliğidir. Hedef kitlenin dikkatini sosyal meselelere çekmenin yanı sıra, hedef kitleyi bu meselelere karşı harekete geçmeye güdülemek için birçok sivil toplum kuruluşu, devlet kurumları ve şirket tarafından hazırlanan sosyal reklamlar; kaza, hastalık, ölüm gibi çeşitli tehdit ve korku çekiciliği unsurlarına başvurmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, çok kipli sosyal reklamların anlam yaratma sürecinde korku çekiciliği unsurlarını görsel, işitsel ve teknik açıdan farklı kiplerde nasıl kullandığını ortaya koymaktır. Bu bağlamda, Türkiye'de trafik güvenliği konusunda İhlalsiz Trafik kampanyası çerçevesinde televizyonlarda hedef kitlesiyle buluşan sosyal reklamlar, çalışma kapsamında, amaca uygun örneklem yöntemi ile belirlenmiş ve bu reklamlar çok kipli metin çözümleme yönteminden faydalanılarak Aytekin'in (2016) modellemesi çerçevesinde çözümlenmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda, ikna gücünü artırmak amacıyla sosyal reklamlarda pişmanlığı bildiren sözlü ifadelerin yanı sıra, görsel, işitsel ve teknik açıdan da farklı korku çekiciliği unsurlarına başvurularak iletilerin hazırlandığı ve farklı kipler arasında en çok görsel ve işitsel kipler aracılığıyla korku yüklü anlamların izler kitleye aktarıldığı ortaya konulmuştur. Anahtar Sözcükler: Sosyal Reklamlar, Korku Çekiciliği, Trafik Güvenliği, Çok Kipli Metin Çözümlemesi. Abstract: Persuasion is a key element for the communication to be established with the target audience whose attitudes, opinions and behaviours are to change in a desired way in line with the specific objective through mass communication outputs. As a sub-type of the advertisements in which this kind of communication is frequently used, the public service advertisements (PSAs) draw upon various appeals in order to persuade their target audience to change their attitudes and behaviours in a desired way. The basic appeal, which the PSAs draw upon in order to call the attention of their target audience to the social issues like environmental pollution, health problems, work safety and traffic safety, is fear appeal. Therefore, many fear appeal items such as accidents, illnesses and death are employed in the PSAs produced by many non-governmental organisations, government bodies and companies to motivate their audience to take the action against these issues as well as drawing their attention. In this scope, the purpose of this study is to present how the multimodal PSAs use the fear appeal items audiovisually and technically in the process of meaning-making. In this regard, the " Traffic without Violation " campaign's PSAs broadcasted on TVs in Turkey are taken into the consideration in this study through the purposive sampling method, and are examined through multimodal text analysis using Aytekin's (2016) modelling. It is concluded from this study that the messages in the PSAs are constructed by deploying different visual, audial and technical fear appeal items (modes) as well as verbal expressions informing remorse in order to increase the persuasion level of PSAs. This study also draws a conclusion that the fear appeals are mostly used in the visual and audial modes of the PSAs. Günümüzde sağlık, politika, sosyal yapı, ekonomi, teknoloji ve çevreyle ilgili değişimler, bir dizi ciddi problemi de beraberinde getirmektedir (Elden ve Bakır 2010, 277). Her gün AIDS, küresel ısınma, çevre kirliliği, aşırı hız nedeniyle yaşanan kazalar, madde bağımlılığı gibi konularla yüz yüze gelen insanların bu sorunlarla başa çıkmasında görev üstlenen devletin yanı sıra çeşitli örgüt ve dernekler de hem daha fazla kişiye ulaşmakta kolaylık sağladığı, hem hızlı olduğu için kitle iletişim araçlarına başvurarak bu sorunların önlenmesinde çeşitli çalışmalar gerçekleştirmektedir. İnsanları sosyal sorunlar konusunda bilgilendirmek ve bu sorunlar karşısında onlara bir çıkış yolu önermek amacıyla kitle iletişim araçlarına başvuran birçok kurum ve kuruluşun gerçekleştirdiği farkındalık yaratma ve harekete geçirme uygulamalarından birisi de, daha yaygın kullanımıyla " kamu spotu " olarak bilinen (Yaman ve Güçkan 2015, 54) sosyal reklamlardır. Bagozzi ve Moore'a (1994, 56) göre, pek çok kurum ve kuruluş tarafından hazırlanan sosyal reklamların iki tür işleyişi bulunmaktadır. Bunlardan birincisi, yardıma ihtiyacı olan veya sağlık, iş güvenliği, emniyet gibi konularda hassaslık gösteren insanlara yönelik çalışmalar gerçekleştirmektedir. Sosyal reklamların diğer bir getirisi ise, insanların zamanlarını ve paralarını toplumdaki önemli bir sorunun çözümü için kullanarak, bu sorundan etkilenen diğer insanlara yardım etmelerini sağlamaktır. Sosyal reklamlar, hem belli bir sorunla mücadele eden birey veya toplulukları çözüme ulaştıracak öneriler getirme, hem de bu tür sorunlarla karşılaşma riskine sahip kişilerde ve topluluklarda farkındalık yaratma amacı gütmektedir. Bu amaca uygun olarak sosyal reklamlar çeşitli taktik ve stratejilere dayalı araçlar barındırmaktadır. Toplumu ekonomik, siyasi ve kültürel açılardan etkileyen sosyal konulara yönelik sosyal reklamların ikna etmede başvurduğu çok çeşitli araç olmasına rağmen, bu sosyal reklamların çoğu hedef kitlesini ikna etmek için hedef