These shockbased,
‘fear appeals’ or more accurately, fear-arousing threat appeals1
present individuals with the
negative outcomes that they may experience as a result of engaging in the depicted unsafe and/or illegal
behaviours. It is expected that the threat will evoke fear at the prospect of experiencing the aversive
outcomes, which will in turn motivate the audience to align their attitudes and/or behaviours with those
recommended in the message (Maddux & Rogers, 1983; Witte, 1992).