What type of communication attempts to change attitudes by inducing fear?

Study for the UVA Social Psychology exam. Enhance your understanding with multiple choice questions that provide hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

Fear-arousing communication is specifically designed to evoke fear in order to influence attitudes and behaviors. This strategy leverages the psychological principle that fear can motivate individuals to take action, particularly when they perceive a threat to their well-being or safety. This type of communication often presents a problem or danger, outlines the risks involved, and then offers solutions or behaviors to mitigate those risks, thereby encouraging a change in attitudes or actions by highlighting the consequences of inaction.

In contrast, emotion-based communication encompasses a broader spectrum of emotional appeals, not limited to fear, and may include feelings like happiness, sadness, or anger. Logical communication relies on presenting facts and rational arguments without leveraging the emotional response that fear induces. Direct communication typically refers to straightforward, unembellished messaging that may not engage the emotional aspect at all. Fear-arousing communication stands out as it strategically utilizes fear as a means to persuade, making it a distinct and powerful approach in social psychology.

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