Shark bytes: message sensation value and emotional appeals in shark diving websites

    Authors

    M. K. Lapinski; L. Neuberger; M. L. Gore; B. A. Muter;B. Van der Heide

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Milit. Psychol.

    Keywords

    risk; message sensation value; website content; wildlife; emotion; PUBLIC-SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS; COGNITIVE-FUNCTIONAL MODEL; RISK; COMMUNICATION; FEAR APPEALS; SEEKING; INFORMATION; PERCEPTION; ANGER; PERSONALITY; PREVENTION; Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

    Abstract

    Websites designed to promote risky activities provide a novel context for studying the role of emotional appeals and message sensation value (MSV) in risk messages in order to ultimately understand the type of messages that motivate people to engage in risk behaviors. Framed in theories of message design and emotion, this study investigates representations of threat, efficacy, and the extent to which risk messages appeal to a range of positive and negative emotions through the examination of 53 shark diving websites using content analysis and computer generated linguistic analysis. Results indicate that few websites provide explicit threat information (i.e. severity and susceptibility) but many do present implicit threats. Efficacy-related messages were present on all websites. Positive emotion was more common than negative emotion and there is little representation of the traditional components of MSV. Implications for theory development and communication about risk-seeking are addressed.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Risk Research

    Volume

    J. Risk Res.

    Issue/Number

    6

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    733

    Last Page

    751

    WOS Identifier

    16

    ISSN

    1366-9877

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