What outcome is most likely from fear-arousing communication?

Fear-arousing communication is a persuasive strategy that aims to elicit fear in the audience to encourage a change in attitudes or behaviors. When the communication effectively increases fear regarding a specific threat, it can motivate individuals to change their behavior to alleviate the fear associated with that threat. For example, health campaigns that use fear appeals about smoking-related diseases may persuade individuals to quit smoking to avoid the feared consequences.

This approach is generally more successful when it provides a clear solution to mitigate the fear. It suggests that people are motivated not just by fear itself but also by the desire to take action to reduce that fear. Therefore, when fear-arousing communication is used effectively, it can lead to significant behavioral change as individuals take steps to protect themselves from the threat being communicated.

In contrast, increased anxiety without attitude change indicates that while fear might be provoked, it may not lead to the desired outcome of changing attitudes or behavior. Similarly, effective persuasion in familiar contexts suggests that fear appeals could be more effective in settings where the audience is already engaged, rather than universally applicable. Lastly, apathy towards the message implies a disconnection or lack of concern from the audience, which contradicts the intention of fear-arousing communication to provoke a response.