장한진, 노기영. (2020). 미세먼지 공포소구가 예방행동의도에 미치는 영향: 자기효능감, 반응효능감, 지각된 위협의 조절된 매개효과. 사이버커뮤니케이션학보, 37(4), 53-101.

ABSTRACT 

Although particulate matter has a detrimental impact on one’s health, people often forget to protect themselves from the risks of particulate matter. So, a strategy of how to raise public awareness of particulate matter-induced risks is needed to promote self-protective behaviors. Based on the extended parallel process model (EPPM), this study examined the effects of fear appeal image on behavioral intention to prevent particulate matter risks and tested perceived threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy as the moderated mediating mechanism. A total of 600 individuals (292 males and 308 females) participated in an online experiment and all of the participants were between 20 and 60 years of age. In the experiment, a factor (fear level) was manipulated with three treatment groups (i.e., high fear, middle fear, low fear). The participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which each condition had 200 participants (i.e., 200 participants in high fear group, 200 participants in middle fear group, 200 participants in low fear group). The experimental stimuli were nine images of particulate matter including 3 high fear images (i.e., image with high level of pollutant concentration), 3 middle fear images (i.e., image with middle level of pollutant concentration), and low fear images (i.e., image with low level of pollutant concentration). Data had been collected through a nationwide and questionnaire-based online survey for two weeks in October, 2018. All participants were asked to respond to demographic questions prior to the experiment. In the experiment, each image has been shown to the participants for about 10 seconds. Right after the experiment, the participants were asked to complete a short questionnaire, which contained questions about fear, perceived threat, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and behavioral intention to prevent particulate. The data were analyzed using SPSS, and in particular, the PROCESS macro was used to test the moderated mediating effect of perceived threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy. The findings of this study supported a moderated mediation model in which the effect of fear appel on behavioral intention through perceived threat was moderated by self-efficacy and response efficacy. When self-efficacy was high, fear resulted in higher behavioral intention through higher perceived threat than when self-efficacy was low. Similar result was found with response efficacy: when response efficacy was high, fear resulted in higher behavioral intention through higher perceived threat than when response efficacy was low. These results supported the previous EPPM research findings and also expanded our knowledge of how fear appeals affect behavioral intention on the basis of the moderated mediating methodology.