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Persuasiveness of Public Health Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Message Framing, Threat Appraisal, and Source Credibility Effects

Author

Listed:
  • Natalia Stanulewicz-Buckley

    (School of Psychology, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK)

  • Edward Cartwright

    (Leicester Castle Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK)

Abstract

This study examines the relative effectiveness of the UK government’s public health messages used during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the use of a loss versus gain frame. We look at the effect of framing on behavioural inclination to follow COVID-19 guidance, as well as affective mechanisms and individual characteristic moderators that might explain said willingness. We ran two studies with a voluntary sample of the UK adult population (total n = 300). Across both studies, we only find a significant impact of message framing on the level of negative affect triggered, with the loss frame triggering a higher negative affect. Instead, attitude to public health communication had a direct and indirect effect on behavioural inclination. Our results suggest that threat minimisation and satisfaction with authorities handling a health crisis might be key to consider when developing effective public health communications.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalia Stanulewicz-Buckley & Edward Cartwright, 2024. "Persuasiveness of Public Health Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Message Framing, Threat Appraisal, and Source Credibility Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(1), pages 1-29, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2024:i:1:p:30-:d:1555928
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    References listed on IDEAS

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