Effects of Horrific Fear Appeals on Public Attitudes Towards AIDS

Abstract

Participants in an attitude change experiment completed questionnaires concerning AIDS. Certain groups were then exposed to a fear‐neutral depiction of the AIDS problem, others to a frightening representation, and the remainder to a horrifically fearsome image. Subjects again filled in the questionnaire one week and eight weeks later. Attitude changes were recorded with respect to respondents' personality type (determined via two well‐known personality assessment instruments) and other characteristics. Individuals with future hedonistic and/or low self‐esteem traits exhibited relatively strong responses to horrific fear‐inducing message. Prior knowledge of the AIDS issue also seemed to influence reactions. Response functions were generally monotonic increasing as the fear/horror level intensified. Reactions to ‘fear‐fact’ communications were especially powerful. No psychological ‘sleeper effects’ or differences in attitude change between introverts and extroverts could be discerned. This article includes illustrations of some of the material used in the research. Some readers may find them disturbing.